Hungary's Orbán visits Georgia to give a boost to its ruling party facing post-election protests

TBILISI, Georgia -- Georgia's ruling party, which has faced monolithic guidance protests demanding nan annulment of its declared triumph successful the play parliamentary election amid allegations of ballot rigging helped by Russia, is getting a boost pinch nan sojourn from Hungary's premier minister.

Victor Orbán, nan first overseas leader to congratulate Georgian Dream, arrived connected Monday successful Georgia connected a travel that highlighted his rifts wrong nan European Union. The EU said he doesn't person immoderate instruction from nan bloc for nan visit.

Tens of thousands of Georgians rallied extracurricular parliament connected Monday night, demanding a caller predetermination nether world supervision and a probe into nan alleged ballot rigging. The protestation underlined tensions successful nan state which lies betwixt Russia and Turkey and wherever nan governing Georgian Dream statement has go progressively authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow.

President Salome Zourabichvili, who has rejected nan charismatic results, told The Associated Press that Georgia has fallen unfortunate to Russian unit against joining nan EU. She said she hopes nan United States and EU backmost nan demonstrations.

“We’ve seen that Russian propaganda was straight used,” said Zourabichvili, a mostly ceremonial president and a fierce professional of Georgian Dream. She said nan authorities has been “working hand-in-hand pinch Russia,” and “probably” received thief from Moscow’s information services.

The Kremlin has rejected nan accusations of interference. The U.S. and nan EU person urged a afloat investigation into nan consequence of Saturday’s vote.

The Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream received 54.8% of nan vote, pinch almost each ballots counted. The statement — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his luck successful Russia — has adopted laws akin to those utilized by nan Kremlin to ace down connected freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.

U.S. officials called connected Georgia to repeal authoritarian legislation, reside electoral deficiencies and move Georgia towards Europe.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a personnel of Georgian Dream, described his party’s occurrence arsenic “impressive and obvious,” and that “any attempts to talk astir predetermination manipulation ... are doomed to failure.”

During Tuesday's gathering pinch Orbán, Kobakhidze thanked him for his support of Georgia's integration into nan EU and noted that nan 2 countries show values and approaches.

Orbán, successful his turn, declared that nan result of nan ballot meant that nan Georgian group “voted for peace,” adding that “nobody wants to destruct his ain state and bring it into a senseless war."

Orbán's comments appeared to echo immoderate of nan divisive Georgian Dream's run rhetoric, successful which nan governing statement accused nan guidance of trying to destabilize nan state and pointed astatine nan warfare successful Ukraine, alleging that nan aforesaid destiny whitethorn befall Georgia.

The Hungarian leader described nan Georgian ballot arsenic free and antiauthoritarian and rejected nan guidance declare that Georgian Dream opposes integration into nan EU arsenic “really ridiculous.”

Orban, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest partner wrong nan EU and Europe’s longest-serving leader, presently holds nan rotating presidency of nan EU, which often is nan bloc’s world bullhorn and which Orban has utilized successful ways that item internal divisions.

The EU suspended Georgia’s rank exertion process indefinitely because of a Russian-style “foreign power law” passed successful June. Many Georgians viewed Saturday’s ballot arsenic a pivotal referendum connected nan opportunity to subordinate nan EU.

The predetermination run successful nan federation of 3.7 cardinal people, which borders Russia, was marked by a bitter conflict for votes and allegations of a smear campaign. European observers said nan predetermination took spot successful a “divisive” situation marked by intimidation and instances of vote-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, caput of nan European Parliament monitoring delegation.

Election observers said instances of intimidation and different violations were peculiarly noticeable successful agrarian areas.

Turnout successful nan ballot was among nan highest since Georgian Dream first won power of parliament successful 2012.

The statement has vowed to proceed pushing toward EU accession but besides wants to “reset” ties pinch Georgia’s erstwhile imperial master, Russia. In 2008, Georgia fought and mislaid a little warfare pinch Moscow, which past recognized nan independency of 2 breakaway Georgian regions and bolstered its subject beingness there.

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Associated Press writer Sophiko Megrelidze successful Tbilisi, Georgia, contributed to this report.