We’re continuing our live coverage of the aftermath of Georgia’s parliamentary elections and the allegations of widespread fraud and rigging.

We’re ending our live coverage for today. Our team are currently working overtime to shine a light on what is happening in Georgia, as the country grasps with what appears to be a rigged election. You can help us in this mission by becoming an OC Media member. Your support helps us to continue this work.

President Zourabichvili faces criticism over ‘Armenian carousel’ remark

President Salome Zourabichvili has faced criticism for referring to schemes allegedly used to rig the elections as ‘Armenian carousel’.

‘We call it “Armenian carousel” here, I don't know if they call it “Georgian carousel” or not — which means that some time before the elections, they started confiscating ID cards from socially vulnerable people, families of prisoners under various pretexts, nobody understood why they did it. In fact, they were used to vote [multiple times] by the same person. With one ID card and different electronic devices, this was possible about 17 times. They had a large number of ID cards or numbers’, Zourabichvili told Associated Press.

Tigran Grigoryan, a political analyst and the head of the Regional Center for Democracy and Security in Yerevan, wrote on X that ‘even the last pre-Velvet Revolution parliamentary elections in Armenia in 2017 were arguably “cleaner” than the recent elections in Georgia, especially the most recent one’.

Andranik Shirinyan, Freedom House’s representative in Armenia, criticised the remark as ‘highly offensive’.

‘Referring to an election fraud tactic using the name of an ethnic minority that already faces Armenophobia, especially during such tense times, is unlikely to be helpful, especially coming from the President’, he wrote on X.

Venezuela’s Maduro: the US treats Georgia like its own colony

In his Con Maduro+ TV show, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has lashed out at the US government for not respecting the victory of the ‘leftist, progressive, and nationalist’ ruling party in Georgia’s parliamentary elections held on Saturday.

Maduro called the previous Georgian governments ‘servile’ to the US, and falsely claimed that Georgian Dream won 56% of the vote. According to the Central Election Commission, Georgian Dream obtained 54% of the total, which has been disputed by opposition parties. 

He then went on to say the US has not recognised the results of the Georgian election, and asked rhetorically, ‘do you believe that the people of the world want to be treated like slaves, like a colony?’

Before embarking on a historical tangent, Maduro said, referring to the US, 'imagine in the 21st century that a country considers itself the owner of the planet, and it says ‘“Venezuela I do not recognise you, Georgia I do not recognise [you], Russia I am going to war with you”'.

Maduro claimed victory in Venezuela’s presidential election in July 2024 that was widely viewed as rigged. 

CEC asks prosecution to investigate allegations of electoral fraud

The CEC again defended its work during the elections, stating that they have become the ‘subject of special attacks and baseless criticism’. 

They have called on the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate whether claims of electoral fraud made by President Zourabichvili, other politicians, and ‘interested persons’ were true.

‘It is necessary to conduct a complex and objective investigation, which is beyond the competence of the election administration’, they said.

‘On our part, we express our readiness to cooperate with the investigation and to smoothly provide interesting and necessary information for the investigation in the institution.’

March towards parliament against election result begins

Dafioni, an activist group which gained prominence for organising most of the demonstrations against the foreign agent law, is now leading a march with around 100 people from Tbilisi State University towards parliament.

European Commission to publish enlargement report tomorrow

Local media have reported that the European Commission will publish a report on enlargement tomorrow, and will touch on progress Georgia made towards fulfilling required reforms to move forward towards reaching membership status.

CEC accuses Zourabichvili of trying to ‘discredit the election administration’

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has accused President Salome Zourabichvili of ‘discrediting electronic technologies’.

‘At the international level, the president is trying to discredit the election administration, which organised the most important elections at the highest level’, the statement read.

‘The observation missions of OSCE/ODIHR and other international organisations confirmed in their statements and evaluations that the elections were administered in a qualified and professional manner. However, the president tries to present the situation differently’.

MFRR records ‘at least 16 attacks on journalists’ during Georgian elections

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) organisation, a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and reacts to violations of press and media freedom in Europe, has recorded ‘at least 16 attacks’ on journalists on election day in Georgia. 

Following at least 16 attacks on journalists on election day in #Georgia, we demand immediate action from the authorities to ensure journalists can report safely. The international community must place effective pressure on Georgia to uphold #PressFreedom.https://t.co/roBfD3GIgc

— Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) (@MediaFreedomEU) October 29, 2024

Borrell calls for the EU’s Political and Security Committee to convene over Georgia’s ‘difficult situation’

EU High Representative Josep Borrell has asked the EU’s Political and Security Committee to convene today for ‘an urgent discussion on the difficult situation in Georgia’. He added that this topic would also be on the agenda of the November Foreign Affairs Council. 

Borrell called the developments in Georgia following Saturday’s elections ‘very worrying’, noting that international observers reported violations during both the election campaign and on election day and have also not declared the elections to be free and fair. 

‘Georgia is an EU candidate country and as such it has to demonstrate its commitment to European values, starting with full transparency in the election process’, Borrell said. 

‘I am asking for a transparent inquiry. The Central Election Commission of Georgia and relevant authorities must investigate irregularities, pressure and intimidation on voters impacting public trust in the process, reported by observers. Those irregularities must be addressed swiftly, transparently and independently’, he added. 

Dafioni calls on citizens to join public march tonight at 19:00

Dafioni, an activist group which gained prominence for organising most of the demonstrations during the foreign agent law protests in Tbilisi, has called for people to join their march to Parliament.

‘We must stand up and fight for our country, victory comes only with this kind of self-sacrificing fight! Today, at [19:00], we will gather at the [Tbilisi State University] I Building and march towards the Parliament’.

Gakharia joins call for public voting record verification database

The chair of the opposition For Georgia party, Giorgi Gakharia, has joined calls for the Central Election Commission (CEC) to allow voters access to official records showing where and when they cast their votes, enabling them to verify that their participation in the election has been accurately documented.

Gakharia also criticised the CEC’s refusal  to do so, citing personal data protections, after the opposition Unity — National Movement group voiced a similar demand earlier today. He argued that the CEC should allow individual access to such a database for the over 2 million Georgians who voted last Saturday so that they could verify their participation, the polling station where they voted, and the exact time they cast their ballot. 

Swedish PM: ‘We cannot work with authorities that counteract everything we stand for’

‘We cannot work with authorities that counteract everything we stand for,’ Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was reported as saying in regards to the Swedish government’s decision to halt all direct cooperation with Georgian authorities

Kristersson reportedly described the conduct of the parliamentary elections by the Georgian authorities, whom he referred to as a ‘Russian-influenced government’, as ‘extremely worrying’.

'We have not received the final reports, but everything suggests that there have been many irregularities, that it is an election that is not reliable, that there has been outright cheating in various ways', Kristersson was quoted as saying. 

Anonymous warns Georgian Dream

An X account believed to be linked to international hacktivist collective Anonymous has accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of ‘rigging and stealing the recent elections’, warning them to ‘expect’ them.

🚨Anonymous PR/Operation Georgia #OpGeorgia

⚡️To the Georgian Dream Party, the Russian asset attempting to rule #Georgia,

We are Anonymous.

By rigging and stealing the recent election, you have betrayed the people you claim to serve and undermined the democratic principles… pic.twitter.com/a2ARV4PceM

— Anonymous TV 🇺🇦 (@YourAnonTV) October 28, 2024

Georgian Dream MP says opposition ‘can no longer mobilise their own voters’

According to IPN, Georgian Dream MP and Vice-Speaker of the Parliament Nino Tsilosani has said that yesterday’s demonstration was not large, and that the opposition ‘can no longer mobilise their own voters, due to the fact that a large part of their voters believe that they lost the election justly’.

According to media reports, Tsilosani also said that the opposition is trying to maintain the spark of protest in society, which they need to organise a coup d’état.

Peskov reprimands the US and the EU for giving Georgia ultimatums

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has expressed his ‘concern’ over the US and EU member states giving ultimatums to the Georgian government in their criticism of the parliamentary elections.

‘We are seeing completely patronising statements coming from both the United States and the European Union, where ultimatums are practically being issued to the Georgian leadership’, said the Kremlin spokesperson, adding that those reactions were ‘utterly repugnant’. 

A day earlier, on Monday, Peskov ‘categorically rejected’ President Salome Zourabichvili’s allegation that Russia had interfered in the elections.

China ‘respects’ the choice of the Georgian people

The official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian, has stated that China respects the choice of the Georgian people and is ready to work with Georgia to develop bilateral relations.

Georgian–Chinese relations have been steadily warming in recent years, with Tbilisi courting Chinese investment in several Georgian projects, including the troubled Anaklia Deep Sea Port project.

Georgia has held a smooth parliamentary election. We respect the choice of the Georgian people and sincerely wish the country stability and prosperity. China stands ready to work with Georgia to further advance bilateral relations. pic.twitter.com/77ZKzawgnm

— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) October 29, 2024

Norwegian Helsinki Committee: Georgia ‘failed to meet fundamental standards for free and fair elections’

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee has published a statement declaring that in the areas visited by their observers, the parliamentary elections in Georgia ‘failed to meet fundamental standards for free and fair elections’. They specifically cited the ‘widespread presence of intimidating groups of unaccredited persons outside the polling stations’, which violated Georgia’s election code and ‘compromised the secrecy of the vote and the voters’ ability to express their opinion freely’.

In areas visited by the NHC observers, the Parliamentary Elections in Georgia failed to meet fundamental standards for free and fair elections. In minority-populated areas voters were systematically pressured at the polling stations. @HRCGeorgia @AageB https://t.co/ifqLTSjnBZ pic.twitter.com/AnnbHb5bUA

— Norwegian Helsinki Committee (@nhc_no) October 28, 2024

Europe Elects: Georgian election ‘exhibits clear fudging with the results’

Europe Elects, a German political intelligence company and poll aggregator, published an investigation into the election that ‘was independently able to reproduce the markings of fraud’.

‘The biggest telltale sign of tampering with the results is implausible deviations from normal distribution when it comes to vote shares of a relevant party’, Europe Elects wrote in a thread on X.

Georgia: On top of the electoral integrity violations reported by observers, the widespread tampering in favour of the government is visible also in the detailed official results counts.

Europe Elects was independently able to reproduce the markings of fraud.#gevote2024 pic.twitter.com/WjLFRsHORH

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) October 29, 2024

In the 2020 Georgian parliamentary election, deviations from a normal distribution were observed somewhat less when it comes to GD, indicating increased tampering with the results in a closely contested election in 2024. pic.twitter.com/GGOcvrkkmU

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) October 29, 2024

These patterns largely persist even when discounting the municipalities where national minorities are the majority and have arguably somewhat different voting patterns. This lends robustness to the overall argument. pic.twitter.com/yS5h8pzlsY

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) October 29, 2024

CEC: public voter database would violate personal data protections

In an apparent response to opposition politician Tamar Kordzaia’s demand, Central Election Commission (CEC) spokesperson Natia Ioseliani rejected the proposal to create an online database that would allow voters to verify that official records accurately reflect them casting their ballots at the specific polling stations where they voted. Ioseliani underlined that such a database would be against the law because it would make personal data public.

‘Notably, no formal complaints have been filed on this matter, suggesting that these demands may serve a political agenda, creating the impression that the election administration is withholding information’, the CEC spokesperson added.

President Duda does not rule out visit to Georgia in the near future

In an interview with Radio ZET, Polish President Andrzej Duda stated that though he is waiting for the opinions of observers, he does not rule out the possibility of travelling to Georgia in the near future.

‘We will consider it if there is a situation where it will be necessary. It is clear to me, I consider it to be my duty in a sense, if such a situation occurs’, he said.

He also noted that during a visit by Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili over a month ago, she told him that Georgian Dream would probably win in the elections, but that they would not be able to govern on their own. 

‘The result that is being announced clearly contradicts what the president told me then’, Duda said.

Erdoğan congratulates Kobakhidze

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has congratulated Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Georgian Dream’s electoral victory, IPN reported, citing the Georgian Government.

According to them, Erdoğan stated that the elections, which ‘expressed the will of the Georgian people, took place in a peaceful and safe environment’.

Opposition leader demands that CEC allow Georgians to verify their votes

Tamar Kordzaia, from the opposition group Unity — National Movement, has urged the Central Election Commission (CEC) to add a database of voters who participated in Saturday’s parliamentary elections to their website so that citizens can verify who voted themselves.

‘This means that the voter must be able to check whether they are validly in the list in the precinct where they signed. Such software from the CEC ensures that the voter will be able to verify their vote to make sure that their vote has not been lost or has not been used by someone else’, she said. 

Zakharova: next stop is neocolonialism

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has responded to Mathew Miller, the spokesperson of the US State Department, who said that the US does not ‘rule out further consequences if the Georgian government’s direction does not change’. 

Zakharova posted on Telegram accusing the West of ‘Neocolonialism’.

‘Democracy, sir, here we are. Next stop is neocolonialism’, she wrote.

Speaker Papuashvili disputes threats from opposition groups on revoking parliamentary mandates

Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has accused opposition groups of misleading their voters by claiming they plan to revoke their entire parliamentary lists as part of their boycott of the election results.

Papuashvili highlighted that the annulment of mandates already allocated by the election results is solely within the parliamentary majority’s power, referencing the 2020 disputed elections when Georgian Dream, in certain cases, declined to annul mandates as demanded by some opposition groups.

During last night’s street demonstration, opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze announced that the united opposition was renouncing their electoral mandates. However, uncertainty remains as to whether all opposition groups have fully committed to this vow.

German MP: EU ‘must not recognise’ election results

Michael Roth, chair of the German Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has stated that the EU ‘must not recognise’ the results of Georgia’s 26 October parliamentary elections.

Georgian Dream has rejected calls for such an investigation.

If the ruling party in 🇬🇪 is so sure of its „honest victory“, it will surely immediately initiate an independent investigation into all allegations of fraud. A decision on new elections must then be made on the basis of an independent report. 🇪🇺 must not recognize this election.

— Michael Roth - official 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇮🇱🇬🇪 (@MiRo_SPD) October 29, 2024

Tsikhanouskaya says Georgians deserve ‘fair elections’

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has posted on X saying that Georgia belongs to the EU and that ‘Georgians deserve free [and] fair elections’, and ‘above all, the power to decide their destiny’.

Georgia 🇬🇪 belongs to Europe!

Today, my ❤️ stands with the brave people of Georgia, fighting for justice & the right to shape their future.

Georgians deserve free & fair elections, a European path rooted in democracy & freedom & above all, the power to decide their destiny. pic.twitter.com/J8z8891LFl

— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) October 29, 2024

US Congressman calls initial reaction from Biden administration ‘shameful’

The Chair of the US Helsinki Commission, Congressman Joe Wilson, has criticised recent statements from US President Joe Biden’s administration regarding accusations of irregularities in Georgia’s parliamentary elections. In particular, he highlighted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s comments on Monday that Saturday’s turnout demonstrated the ‘Georgian people’s embrace of democracy’ and that international and local observers agreed that election day was ‘generally well-administered’.

It is shameful that the Biden-Harris administration is legitimizing Georgian Dream’s authoritarian takeover of a freedom loving country. 🇺🇸🇬🇪 #MEGOBARI https://t.co/NCAjW58Nj8

— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) October 29, 2024

Orbán calls election results ‘indisputable’ 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has again congratulated his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Kobakhidze, during a joint press conference held in Tbilisi. 

In his speech, Orbán stated that ‘democratic and free elections were held’ in Georgia, and that while there would be disputes in Europe, the Georgian people should not take it seriously. 

‘As the Prime Minister of Hungary, who has won many disputes, I want to tell you that there will be disputes in the future, in the next two days, but it should be taken as it is. The election results are indisputable, free and democratic elections were held, but there will still be disputes and arguments in Europe. You don't have to take it seriously, because it's a common story, there are arguments like this. In Brussels, it's always like that: when the conservative parties win, we always see arguments like this because European politics is based on a manual — if the liberals win, then it’s Democracy, if the conservatives win, then there was no democracy’.

He added that due to Hungary’s border with Ukraine, they understand what war means and the importance of peace.

‘Hungary is a peace loving country in Europe and we greatly appreciate your efforts as you are also on the side of peace. No one wants to destroy his own country and get involved in a senseless war. That is why we understand the decision made by the Georgian people, who made a choice in the direction of peace’. 

Canada to ‘reassess its relationship with the Georgian leadership’

Global Affairs Canada has issued a statement noting that the country is ‘concerned’ over ‘widespread acts of voter intimidation, vote buying and other election day irregularities’ as reported in the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary report and calling for an investigation. 

‘In coordination with our G7 and European partners, and in light of the conduct and results of this election, Canada will reassess its relationship with the Georgian leadership. Canada remains open to cooperation with Georgia, as long as the Georgian leadership respects democracy, human rights, rule of law and addresses the recent democratic backsliding’, the statement read. 

US consulting with European partners to investigate Georgian elections 

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has clarified in a press briefing that he did not specify that it should be Georgian officials conducting an investigation into election irregularities, adding that ‘We are consulting with our European partners about what an appropriate body to conduct such an investigation might be’.

When asked about possible Russian interference, Miller responded that they do not have an assessment to offer at this point, but noted that they ‘continue to be vigorous in watching’. 

‘Even outside the claims of Russian interference, we saw the ruling party take steps that would restrict Georgians’ right to participate in a fully free and fair election. We saw vote-buying, we saw crackdowns’, Miller highlighted.

‘I will say that we have seen Russia interfere with a number of its neighbours’ elections over the past several years. We’ve seen them interfere in our own election’, he added. 

He noted that the US has ‘consistently urged the Georgian government this year to walk back its anti-democratic actions and return to its Euro-Atlantic path’, adding that they ‘do not rule out further consequences if the Georgian government’s direction does not change’.

He did not comment on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Georgia immediately following the elections. 

ALDE Party stands in solidarity with opposition parties and Zourabichvili

The President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party, Svenja Hahn, and President of the Liberal International organisation, Hakima El Haite, have issued a joint statement, declaring their belief that the outcome of the Georgian parliamentary elections ‘does not fully reflect the free choice of the Georgian people’. 

‘We stand in solidarity with the united opposition parties and the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, in condemning the conduct of these crucial elections that will define the country’s future relationship with the European Union’, the statement read. 

They further added that they ‘reject the result based on violence, intimidation, and a deliberate shrinking democratic space by the Georgian Dream and recognise the wish of the majority of Georgians to follow a Euro-Atlantic path and reject the creeping influence of Russia in their country’.

Key events from yesterday

• Georgia’s opposition have demanded snap elections held under an international administration.
• We Vote, a coalition of local election observers, have claimed to have identified a scheme of multiple voting with the collusion of the Central Election Commission.
• US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller yesterday warned that Washington does not ‘rule out further consequences if the Georgian government’s direction does not change’.
• Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Tbilisi yesterday to meet with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The two are expected to  make a joint statement today.
• Tens of thousands of Georgians took part in a mass protest against allegations of election fraud and rigging in front of parliament yesterday.