On Sunday evening, Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili refused to accept the result of Saturday's election that Georgian Dream had won with 54 percent of the vote.

She said the country has been a victim of a "Russian special operation" and called for protests.

After her statement, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said: "[I]t impossible to consider these elections to have been free & fair. Nobody has the right to steal Georgia's European future."

The reports from election observers & the statement from President @Zourabichvili_S make it impossible to consider these elections to have been free & fair.

Nobody has the right to steal #Georgia's European future.

— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) October 27, 2024

Estonia was also one of 11 countries to sign a statement saying the EU cannot recognize Georgia's election results.

"These elections were neither free nor fair. The political climate in the run-up to the elections was incompatible with European standards of fairness. Candidates were intimidated and threatened, state power was abused, votes were bought. The reports of the international election observer missions clearly confirm this. There is therefore considerable election fraud also through intimidation and vote buying on election day," the text said.

The statement said this election was about Europe or isolation, democracy or authoritarianism, freedom or Russification.

"Obviously, during the election campaign, it did not become clear enough that there can be no continuation of the EU rapprochement with the ruling party and its policies. The policy of the Georgian Dream is simply incompatible with the EU," the MPs pointed out.

It also called for sanctions "against those responsible for unfair electoral influence, intimidation and threats against the opposition and civil society."

The statement was signed by Chairman of the Riigikogu's Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson (Reform) and his counterparts from Canada, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine.

We are very concerned about election, which was neither free nor fair. It must not be recognised internationally. We demand sanctions for those responsible + declare our solidarity with all committed Europeans in .


Joint Statement on elections. pic.twitter.com/GZYVzXtf8m

— Michael Roth - official (@MiRo_SPD) October 27, 2024

MEP: Elections in Georgia have turned into a farce

Member of the European Parliament Riho Terras (Isamaa) said Georgian Dream's – which announced itself the winner of the elections – "win" is regressive for democracy and destructive for the country.

"Eighty percent of residents support Western integration, but the outcome is entirely the opposite," he told ERR.

Terras said elections in Georgia have become a farce because the ruling party has control over the media, civil society has been silenced, and opposition leaders are being imprisoned on trumped-up charges.

"Videos circulated on social media on election day, showing fake ballots being stuffed into ballot boxes. There were also fights near polling stations between pro-Russian groups and opposition supporters," he said.

"Georgia, controlled by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, is slipping into Russia's sphere of influence. The hope that this will ensure Georgia's security and sovereignty is an illusion. Russia occupies one-fifth of the country's territory. As a result of Georgian Dream's continued rule, the country is becoming a vassal state, whose future and fate depend on its relationship with Putin's aggressive Russia. The European Union and its member states must continue to support the opposition. They need to feel they have not been abandoned," Terras added.

MP: Georgian Dream leader imitates Orban

Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200), chairman of the National Defense Committee of the Riigikogu, said the Georgian Dream has managed to fool many people.

"Hearing Georgian Dream propagandists claim that Georgia will join the European Union by 2030, when in reality the EU has essentially frozen relations with Georgia — is there a bigger lie imaginable? This is how they stole voters from democratic parties. On one hand, they promise peace and good relations with Russia, while on the other, they claim to be steering a clear course toward the EU. It seems no one considers that these are, in fact, opposing directions," said Stoicescu.

He said Georgian Dream leader oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, is imitating Hungary's pro-Russian leader Viktor Orban. He has called Georgia a bridge between East and West.

"Anyone with common sense should understand that Orban and Putin would not congratulate a pro-democracy, pro-European party on an election victory. This means they are very confident about the course Ivanishvili's party is taking," Stoicescu said.

Official preliminary results from Georgia's election commission gave the ruling Georgian Dream an outright majority of 54 percent, despite exit polls for opposition TV channels suggesting four opposition parties had won, the BBC reported.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!