Thousands of people, some with anti-Russian banners, protested outside the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi on Monday, the 28th of October, after the ruling party won an election in which voting irregularities were reported, prompting Western countries to call for an investigation. President Salome Zourabichvili called on people to take to the streets after the results were announced, reports Reuters.
A “stolen” sign was projected on the front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, but there were no clashes as Zourabichvili made it clear that the protest would be “very peaceful”.
❗️ BREAKING: Opposition protests begin in the center of Tbilisi
Protesters in Georgia took to the roadway and paralyzed traffic near the parliament building in Tbilisi. The protesters disagree with the victory of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the parliamentary elections.… pic.twitter.com/oSqIJrJnmb
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 28, 2024
EU anthem right now on Rustaveli at rally where people came out to defend their vote after president and opposition didn’t accept election results. pic.twitter.com/2dNz2v5Owk
— Mariam Nikuradze (@mari_nikuradze) October 28, 2024
Georgian Dream, which came to power in 2012, won almost 54% of the vote in Saturday’s elections, the electoral commission said. The four main opposition parties that won seats in parliament said they did not recognise the results and would boycott parliamentary chamber.
“You did not lose the elections. Your votes were stolen, and they tried to steal your future,” Zourabichvili told the crowd, draped with Georgian and European Union flags.
“Together, peacefully, as we are today, we will defend what is ours: your constitutional right to have your vote respected.”
Observers said there were reports of vote-buying, voter intimidation and ballot stuffing that could have influenced the results, while the US and EU called for an investigation.
Thirteen of the 27 EU foreign ministers said they “stand with the Georgians in this difficult moment”, adding that “violations of electoral integrity are incompatible with the standards expected of an EU candidate country”.
Russia rejected accusations of interference, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the election results were “the choice of the Georgian people” and accusing the West of trying to destabilise the situation.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the opposition of trying to “shake the constitutional order”, local media reported. He said his government remained committed to European integration.