Tens of thousands protest in Georgia over ‘stolen’ election
Georgia’s pro-Western president has alleged that the country’s weekend parliamentary election was rigged with the help of Russia
Tens of thousands of Georgians protested in central Tbilisi on Monday after parliamentary polls denounced by the pro-Western opposition as “stolen”, while Georgia’s president alleged that the vote was rigged using “sophisticated” methods she linked to Russia.
The Caucasus country – rocked by mass anti-government protests earlier this year – has plunged into political uncertainty since Saturday’s vote, with Washington and Brussels condemning “irregularities”.
According to near-complete results announced by the electoral commission, the ruling Georgian Dream party won 53.92 per cent, compared with the 37.78 per cent garnered by a union of four pro-Western opposition alliances.
Georgian Dream has for months been accused by the opposition of steering Tbilisi away from its goal of joining the EU and back into Russia’s orbit.
Waving Georgian and EU flags, tens of thousands of demonstrators held a peaceful protest outside the main parliament building in central Tbilisi on Monday evening that ended with calls for further rallies.
