Thousands of people are gathering again in Georgia to protest parliamentary elections they say were rigged

TBILISI, Georgia — Thousands of opposition supporters gathered outside Georgia’s parliament for the second consecutive month to denounce Elections of October 26 as illegitimate after the ruling party was declared victorious in the middle allegations of vote fraud helped by Russia.

The protesters, who waved Georgian and European Union flags, demanded new parliamentary elections under international supervision and an investigation into alleged voting irregularities.

Opposition leaders have vowed to boycott parliament sessions and hold regular protests until their demands are met.

“We will not accept illegitimate elections; we will not recognize an illegitimate parliament,” said Badri Japaridze, leader of the Lelo Strong Georgia Coalition. “We will not go to that parliament and let (the ruling party) Georgian Dream announce itself as the legitimate representative of the Georgian people, because they have stole the election. This is a special operation supported by Russia, where the future of the Georgian people has been stolen, and we will not accept that.”

Monday’s protest took place under the watch of riot police, reflecting simmering political tensions in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, which lies between Russia and Turkey.

The Central Electoral Commission said Georgian Dream won about 54 percent of the vote. Its leaders rejected opposition claims of vote fraud.

President Salome Zourabichvili, who rejected the official results, says Georgia fell victim to pressure from Moscow against EU membership. Zourabichvili, who holds a largely ceremonial position, called on the United States and the EU to support the demonstrations.

Officials in Washington and Brussels have called for a full investigation into the election, while the Kremlin has rejected allegations of meddling.

Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the United National Movement Coalition, said the opposition was urging the West not to recognize the vote and would gather more evidence of violations to push for new elections. He promised to organize protests not only in the capital, but also throughout the country.

Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012, was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadow billionaire who made his fortune in Russia.

The opposition accused him of becoming increasingly authoritarian and leaning towards Moscow. It recently passed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to restrict free speech and LGBTQ+ rights.

European election observers said the election took place in a “divided” atmosphere, marked by cases of bribery, double voting and physical violence. Observers said cases of intimidation and other violations were particularly prevalent in rural areas.

The EU has suspended Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely due to the adoption of a Russian-style “foreign influence law” in June. Many Georgians saw the parliamentary election as a key referendum on the country’s bid to join the EU.

“I’m angry that we’re not at all on the European Union path at the moment,” Tbilisi resident Tornike Tsiramua said, hoping the protests would grow. “This election was fraudulent; we have all the evidence and we have to force it. our government to ensure that elections are conducted in a fair and free manner.”

Georgian Dream has vowed to continue pushing for EU membership, but also wants to “reset” ties with Russia, the country’s former imperial overlord. In 2008, Georgia fought and lost a brief war with Moscow, which then recognized the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions and strengthened its military presence there.

Georgia prosecutors last week launched an investigation into alleged vote fraud. The opposition immediately objected that the Prosecutor’s Office would not conduct an independent investigation, as its head was appointed by the Georgian Dream-controlled parliament.

The investigation was requested by the Central Election Commission, and Zourabichvili was summoned for questioning on the allegations on Thursday. Others “who may have information related to the alleged criminal act” would also be questioned, the Prosecutor’s Office said. Zourabichvili said he would not comply with the subpoena, arguing that prosecutors should have found the evidence themselves.