Georgia Prime Minister Denies Vote-Rigging, Violence Claims In ‘Landslide’ Election Victory

Georgia’s prime minister has praised a “landslide” election victory, dismissing accusations of vote-rigging and violence.

“Irregularities happen everywhere, in every country,” said Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream (GD) party in an exclusive interview with reporters.

Preliminary results from the election commission show GD with an outright majority of 54%, despite opposition TV exit polls suggesting four opposition parties had won.

Georgia’s pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, condemned the election as a “total falsification” and urged opposition supporters to rally outside parliament on Monday.

Election observers have raised concerns about an “uneven playing field,” suggesting that violations may have impacted the results. The US and European Union have supported calls for an independent investigation, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging Georgia’s leaders to “respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and address deficiencies in the electoral process together.”

However, the prime minister downplayed the accusations, stating that out of 3,111 polling stations, issues were reported in only “a couple of precincts” and that the rest were peaceful.

GD has faced increasing criticism for authoritarian tendencies, including Russian-style laws targeting media, non-government organisations, and the LGBT community. As a result, the European Union has frozen Georgia’s EU membership bid, citing “democratic backsliding.”

Despite this, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, a close ally of Russia within the EU, congratulated GD on securing a fourth term and is expected to visit Georgia on Monday.

Orban’s arrival is unlikely to sit well with Brussels, as the European Parliament views his government as a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy.”

GD aligns itself with Orban’s brand of social conservatism. Maka Bochorishvili, head of the party’s EU integration committee, said, “Being conservative is not forbidden, family values are part of European values as well.”

In response to allegations of fraud, European Council President Charles Michel called for the “alleged irregularities” to be addressed. Kobakhidze acknowledged the irregularities but argued that the overall election adhered to democratic principles.

Four opposition groups have rejected the election results, accusing GD of vote theft. Surrounded by opposition leaders, President Zourabichvili declared the vote illegitimate and urged citizens to “defend our constitutional right” by gathering on Rustaveli Street, which runs past parliament.

Two opposition groups, Coalition for Change and United National Movement, plan to boycott parliament. While GD will hold 89 seats in the 150-seat parliament, it lacks the supermajority needed to pass constitutional changes, including a proposal to ban opposition parties.

Exit polls conducted by Western organisations for opposition TV suggested GD had won just 42%, not 54%.

Kobakhidze accused the opposition of consistently lying about election rigging, referencing similar claims from 2016, 2020, and 2021.

“Of course they have now no other way, so they have to tell their supporters that either they were lying or the government rigged the elections.”

He emphasised that an electronic vote-counting system was used for the first time, making it “impossible to rig” the election. “There is zero space for manipulation.”

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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