Georgia was the victim of a ‘Russian special operation’ in election, its president says

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s president said Sunday she did not admit nan results of this weekend’s parliamentary vote, which predetermination officials opportunity was won by nan ruling party, adding that nan state fell unfortunate to a “Russian typical operation” aimed astatine moving it disconnected a way toward Europe.

Standing alongside guidance leaders, President Salome Zourabichvili urged Georgians to rally Monday nighttime connected Tbilisi’s main thoroughfare to protestation what she called a “total falsification, a full stealing of your votes,” raising nan imaginable of further governmental turmoil successful nan South Caucasus nation.

She said nan time aft an predetermination which could determine whether Georgia embraces Europe aliases falls nether nan sway of Russia.

“This predetermination cannot beryllium recognized, because it is nan nickname of Russia’s intrusion here, Georgia’s subordination to Russia,” Zourabichvili said.

The Central Election Commission said Sunday that nan ruling party, Georgian Dream, sewage 54.8% of Saturday’s ballot pinch almost 100% of ballots counted.

Georgian Dream has go progressively authoritarian complete nan past year, adopting laws akin to those utilized by Russia to ace down connected state of speech. Brussels suspended Georgia’s EU rank process indefinitely because of a Russian-style “foreign power law,” passed successful June. Many Georgians viewed Saturday’s ballot arsenic a referendum connected nan opportunity to subordinate nan European Union.

The predetermination run successful nan South Caucasus federation of 3.7 cardinal people, which borders Russia, was dominated by overseas argumentation and marked by a bitter conflict for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.

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

European electoral observers said nan predetermination took spot successful a “divisive” situation marked by intimidation and instances of ballot buying, double voting and beingness violence.

During nan campaign, Georgian Dream utilized “anti-Western and dispute rhetoric ... promoted Russian misinformation, manipulations, and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio López-Istúriz White, nan caput of nan European Parliament monitoring delegation.

“Paradoxically, nan authorities further claimed that it was continuing Georgia’s European integration,” he added.

The behaviour of nan polls, he said, is much grounds that points to nan ruling party’s “democratic backsliding.”

President of nan European Council Charles Michel said he called connected Georgia’s officials to “swiftly, transparently and independently investigate” nan electoral irregularities and called connected nan ruling statement to show its “firm commitment” to nan EU.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze connected Sunday described Georgian Dream’s triumph arsenic “impressive and obvious,” and said “any attempts to talk astir predetermination manipulation ... are doomed to failure.”

Hungary’s Victor Orbán was nan first overseas leader to congratulate Georgian Dream and will beryllium nan first overseas leader to sojourn Georgia and meet nan premier curate erstwhile he visits nan superior for a sojourn Monday and Tuesday.

Georgian electoral observers, who were stationed crossed nan country, besides reported aggregate violations and said nan results do not bespeak “the will of nan Georgian people.”

In nan superior Tbilisi, Tiko Gelashvili, 32, said, “The results that were published are conscionable lies and rigged.”

Initial figures suggested turnout successful nan ballot was nan highest since Georgian Dream was first elected successful 2012.

The United National Movement guidance statement said its office were attacked connected Saturday while Georgian media reported 2 group were hospitalized aft being attacked extracurricular polling stations.

“The astir important mobility is whether aliases not these elections will beryllium recognized by nan world community,” said Natia Seskuria, executive head of nan Regional Institute for Security Studies successful Tbilisi. Georgia’s “economic and governmental prospects” hinge connected nan election, she said.

Georgians person a analyzable narration pinch Russia, which ruled it from Moscow until Georgia gained independency from nan Soviet Union successful 1991. Russia and Georgia fought a short warfare successful 2008, and Moscow still occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory.

Despite that, Georgian Dream has adopted Russia-style laws and galore Georgians fearfulness nan authorities is distancing nan state from nan West and into Moscow’s orbit.

The predetermination observers said instances of intimidation and electoral violations were peculiarly noticeable successful agrarian areas.

Georgian Dream scored its highest stock of nan ballot — polling almost 90% — successful nan Javakheti region of confederate Georgia, 135 kilometers (83 miles) westbound of nan capital. In Tbilisi, it sewage nary much than than 44% of nan ballot successful immoderate district.

Javakheti is predominantly cultivation and galore group are taste Armenians who speak Armenian, Russian and constricted Georgian. Before nan election, nan AP traveled to nan region wherever voters suggested they were instructed really to ballot by section officials. Several questioned why Georgia needed a narration pinch Europe and suggested it would beryllium amended disconnected allied pinch Moscow.

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Associated Press journalists Sophiko Megrelidze, successful Tbilisi, and Raf Casert, successful Brussels, contributed to this report