Georgia begins investigating its disputed election but the opposition calls the probe into question

TBILISI, Georgia -- The Prosecutor’s Office successful Georgia said Wednesday it has launched an investigation into alleged ballot rigging successful last weekend’s parliamentary election, which officials said was won by nan ruling statement and nan guidance denounced arsenic illegitimate.

The guidance instantly raised objections that nan Prosecutor’s Office would not behaviour an independent investigation because its caput was appointed by parliament, which is dominated by nan Georgian Dream ruling party.

Georgian Dream, which has deepened nan country’s ties pinch Russia, declared triumph successful Saturday’s predetermination aft authorities said it won astir 54% of nan ballot pinch almost each ballots counted. The balloting was seen by galore Georgians arsenic a prime betwixt continuing to support nan ruling statement aliases seeking person integration pinch nan European Union.

European observers said nan predetermination took spot successful a “divisive” situation marked by intimidation and instances of vote-buying, double voting and beingness violence. Georgian observers besides reported aggregate violations and said nan results do not bespeak “the will of nan Georgian people.”

The United States and nan EU person called for a afloat and transparent investigation of nan alleged violations.

Thousands of group rallied extracurricular nan parliament building Monday nighttime to perceive guidance speakers, including President Salome Zourabichvili, denounce what they called a stolen election.

The federation of 3.7 cardinal people, which lies betwixt Russia and Turkey, was granted nan position of an EU campaigner successful 2022, but Brussels halted nan process indefinitely aft nan parliament, dominated by Georgian Dream, adopted a “foreign power law,” akin to ones enacted successful Russia to ace down connected dissent.

The statement was group up by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his luck successful Russia and served concisely arsenic Georgia’s premier curate but has stayed retired of nationalist position since 2013.

The investigation was requested by nan Central Election Commission, and Zourabichvili was summoned for questioning Thursday astir nan allegations; others “who whitethorn person accusation related to nan alleged criminal act” besides would beryllium questioned, nan Prosecutor’s Office said.

However, Zourabichvili said she would not obey nan summons, telling a briefing that “the investigative assemblage should person recovered nan grounds itself.”

Election officials besides person announced a partial recount of ballots formed astatine a number of polling stations, aimed astatine addressing immoderate of nan accusations. It wasn’t instantly clear erstwhile that will beryllium completed, pinch a CEC connection saying ballots from 5 polling stations randomly selected successful each predetermination territory will beryllium recounted.

But Salome Samadashvili of nan guidance Strong Georgia coalition, questioned whether nan Prosecutor's agency was independent of Ivanishvili's influence.

“If personification thinks that they tin fool nan Georgian group aliases our world partners into believing that Bidzina will analyse his ain predetermination fraud, they are mistaken. Nobody tin beryllium fooled,” Samadashvili said.

“That is why we are saying that nan investigation should beryllium conducted by an world ngo pinch nan capable instruction and qualifications. Until this is done, this predetermination cannot and will not person legitimacy aliases trust,” she added.

Zourabichvili, who has a mostly ceremonial domiciled arsenic president, suggested that “Russian elections” were held successful nan country, and said “technology was utilized to whitewash counterfeiting. Such a point has ne'er happened before.”

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a personnel of Georgian Dream, urged Zourabichvili to move complete grounds of vote-rigging and concluded that she has none.

“Whether it’s Salome Zourabichvili aliases anyone else, if they person immoderate evidence, they should taxable it to nan Prosecutor’s Office and nan applicable authorities alternatively of making baseless oral statements astir events that ne'er happened. This is their responsibility,” he said.

"However, I americium definite that, since she has nary facts, she won’t situation to spell to nan Prosecutor’s Office aliases supply them pinch immoderate accusation regarding nan accusations she is making verbally,” Kobakhidze said.