Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has called for a protest against the election results today in central Tbilisi, urging people to ‘stand together’ and not to recognise the results.

Key events from yesterday:

• President Salome Zourabichvili called the elections ‘completely rigged’, stating that recognising their results would be the equivalent of recognising ‘Russia’s entry here’.
• Zourabichvili called for a protest at 19:00 on central Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Georgia’s Parliament is on Rustaveli Avenue.
• Several opposition groupings who managed to secure seats in parliament have vowed not to take up their mandates. 
• Several election monitoring missions have highlighted widespread accounts and reports of violations at voting stations across the country.
• EU Council President Charles Michel posted on X that the council will ‘assess’ its relations with Georgia at its informal meeting in Budapest next month.

Sweden to pause all direct government cooperation with Georgia

Deputy Swedish Foreign Minister Benjamin Dousa has announced that Sweden is cutting direct cooperation with the Georgian Government, in response to democratic backsliding in the country.

According to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the decision was made before Saturday’s elections. They report that the move came in response to the adoption of the foreign agent law among other things.

The paper reports that Sweden previously gave around 190 Swedish Kronas ($18 million) annually to Georgia, and that in 2024, 25 million Swedish Kronas were redistributed to civil society.

We’re ending our live coverage for today. You can read more on the allegations of fraud here, and a sum up of the opposition’s demands for a new election here. 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.

Join us again tomorrow when we will be continuing our live updates.

US: ‘We do not rule out further consequences if the Georgian Government’s direction does not change’

US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller has said the US does not ‘rule out further consequences if the Georgian Government’s direction does not change’.

‘The Georgian people went to the polls on Saturday in an election environment shaped by the ruling party’s policies, including misuses of public resources,  vote buying, and voter intimidation’, he said. ‘This contributed to an uneven playing field and undermined public and international trust in the possibility of a fair outcome.’

We join calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election related violations and urge respect for the fundamental freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly.’ 

‘We encourage Georgia’s governing officials to consider the relationship they want with the Euro-atlantic community rather than strengthening policies that are praised by authoritarians.’

‘More than 80% of the Georgian people want to see the country integrate into the EU and NATO. The constitution of Georgia proposed and backed by the current governing party stipulates the pursuit of membership in these Euro-Atlantic institutions. All parties campaigned in support of this goal, but the governing party has adopted measures inconsistent with that course.’ 

‘The Georgian Government can recommit to its democratic Euro-Atlantic trajectory by respecting the rule of law, addressing deficiencies in its electoral processes, withdrawing and repealing anti-democratic legislation, and undertaking significant effort on outstanding EU accession reform recommendations.’ 

‘We have consistently urged the Georgian Government this year to walk back its anti-democratic actions and return to its euro-atlantic path’, he said. 

Orbán and Kobakhidze dine in Tbilisi

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has hosted a dinner for Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán, who is visiting Tbilisi. The two are expected to make a joint statement tomorrow.

Medvedev says Zourabichvili should be ‘removed’ and ‘arrest’ of Zourabichvili

Former Russian President and current Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has called President Zourabichvili a ‘puppet’ and accused her of ‘calling for a coup’. 

‘The standard practice in such cases is removal from office and arrest’, he said on X.

EU foreign ministers call for investigation into elections, criticise Orbán’s visit

The Foreign Affairs Ministers of 13 European states have released a joint statement on the Georgian elections, stating that they ‘demand an impartial inquiry of complaints and remedy of the violations established’. 

They’ve additionally criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ‘premature’ visit to Georgia, saying that he ‘does not speak on behalf of the EU’.

Demonstration concludes with EU anthem

Levan Tsutskiridze from Strong Georgia has now wrapped up the demonstration.

He repeated the opposition’s demands and asks people to send any information or images they have from election day. He says they will continue to investigate and will keep people informed about their findings and plans.

The EU anthem and then Georgian anthem play.

Margvelashvili: our homeland needs to be saved 

Former President Giorgi Margvelashvili has now taken to the stage. 

‘We’ve united because our homeland needs to be saved — here you can see unity’, he says.

Bokuchava: We will not tolerate Russia’s special operation

Unity — National Movement’s Tina Bokuchava says ‘we will not tolerate Russia’s special operation that Ivanishvili calls elections’.

She thanked Salome Zourabichvili for her courage, for sticking to the European choice, for sticking with the people.

She said they would achieve the final victory with this unity.

She also highlighted that Georgia’s fourth president, Giorgi Margvelashvili was also with them. She also mentioned that Georgia’s ‘third president’ was with them, referring to Mikheil Saakashvili.

She repeats the opposition’s demands.

Melia: We won’t let this state be Russified

Nika Melia from the Coalition for Change is now speaking (with a very hoarse voice).

He warned Georgia risked becoming ‘part of the Russian swamp’.

He highlighted that the official results gave Georgian Dream hundreds of thousands more votes than in 2020, which was not realistic.

He also spoke about unity within the opposition.

He spoke about the adoption of the foreign agent law, stating that ‘a new Georgia’ has now emerged.

‘We don’t want to imagine…  that this state will be Russified, we won’t let that happen’, he said.

‘There are a lot more among us than are present here

He spoke of the 9 April demonstrators who sacrificed their life ‘so that now we are able to move forward’, referring to the 1989 Soviet crackdown on pro-independence protesters in Tbilisi.

Elisashvili: We have to stand together

Aleko Elisashvil from the opposition Strong Georgia has addressed the protest.

‘Nobody plans to recognise these dirty elections’, he said.

He said they were demanding the government publishes the voter list within 24 hours.

He said that while there were many disagreements within the opposition, they were now standing together ‘because Georgia needs us to’.

He appeared to apologise to have spoken harshly about Giorgi Gakharia yesterday.

‘I want to tell Gakharia man to man, it’s not the time to be angry with one another’.

Gakharia demands ‘free, fair and democratic elections’

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the protest, For Georgia leader and former Georgian Dream Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has confirmed he is standing with other opposition leaders.

He said the only solution was to conduct a proper investigation and to hold ‘free, fair and democratic elections’.

Opposition demands snap elections under international administration 

Giorgi Vashadze from the opposition Unity — National Movement grouping has announced the opposition’s positions and demands.

First: The elections were not legitimate.

Second: Opposition parties will renounce their electoral lists, meaning there will be no opposition MPs.

Third: The opposition will continue fighting until victory.

Fourth: The opposition is demanding snap elections be held under international administration — not the Georgian central Election Commission. There will be no negotiations with the government, and only an agreement for a repeated, internationally administered vote will be accepted.

Vashadze added that much more evidence of how the election was rigged would emerge in the coming days.

‘This fight might take time, but we will not give up and I swear Georgia will win’, he said.

Orbán booed in Tbilisi

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was booed by a group of Georgians as he appeared outside the Tbilisi Marriott hotel near an ongoing street demonstration against election fraud. Orbán is expected to be hosted by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze tomorrow. 

The Hungarian leader was among the first to congratulate Georgian Dream on their contested victory in the Saturday’s parliamentary elections.

Zourabichvili addresses protest

President Salome Zourabichvili has addressed the crowd in front of parliament.

She told people not to lose hope, and to continue to fight to protect their votes. She reiterated that the election was fraudulent.

‘They stole your vote and tried to steal your future. But no one has the right to do that, and you will not allow it.’

She said she had spoken to several European leaders, and that people could see from their statements that Europe stood with the Georgian people.

She said investigations into the conduct of the vote would continue, as they needed to collect evidence to prove that the vote was stolen.

She said opposition leaders would now outline their plans.

‘I can pledge that I will stay with you to the end on this European path’, she added.

Protest grows

People are continuing to stream in to the protest outside the Georgian parliament.

People continue to gather outside the Georgian Parliament.

▶️ Georgia election live updates: https://t.co/B2R5yyfRtt pic.twitter.com/Ji3LBrmeAd

— OC Media (@OCMediaorg) October 28, 2024

Von der Leyen: ‘Georgians have a right to know what happened this weekend’

At a speech at the college of Europe, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has addressed the allegations of vote rigging.

‘For so many years now, the people of Georgia have been striving and fighting for democracy’, she said.

‘They have a right to know what happened this weekend and they have a right to see that electoral irregularities are investigated swiftly, transparently, and independently. Georgians like all Europeans must be masters of their own destiny.’ 

Dear students of the @collegeofeurope in Bruges.

You're not only studying the Europe of yesterday and today.

You're preparing to build the Europe of tomorrow.

The legacy of Jacques Delors, the patron of your pomotion, can guide you in this journey ↓ https://t.co/jT31wEVFY0

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 28, 2024

Orbán arrives is in Georgia

According to local media, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has arrived in Georgia. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze will host the Orbán from 28-29 October. Orbán was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Georgian Dream after only part of the electronic votes were counted on Saturday evening.

Protesters gather outside parliament

Protesters have begun to gather outside parliament.

US Helsinki Commission speaks out in support of Zourabichvili

The chair of the US Helsinki Commission, Joe Wilson, has issued a statement expressing support for President Zourabichvili in rejecting the results of the parliamentary elections.

‘I stand with President Zourabichvili and the Georgian people in this fight and warn the Georgian Dream government against using violence to silence protestors. The world is watching’, he said.

CEC spokesperson claims spread of ‘false information’

CEC spokesperson Natia Ioseliani has stated at a briefing that ‘stakeholders spread false information regarding the number of voters who came to the elections’.

‘By comparing the data of the National Statistics Service and the number of voters who came to the elections, the information is manipulated and the situation is presented as if more people participated in the elections than are on the list’, Ioseliani claimed.

‘We categorically declare that the spread of information is a lie. The numbers published by the interested parties do not match the actual data of the unified voter list. [...] The unified list of voters, including by district, is public now and was public to all parties involved before the election’.

Local observer group outlines ‘pre-planned, organised fraud scheme’ 

The local election observer coalition We Vote have outlined what they say is a ‘pre-planned, organised fraud scheme’ by the authorities prepared before the vote and used to rig the election.

The group said it was challenging the results from over 185 precincts, representing over 300,000 voters, apparently calling for the results from these precincts to be annulled. They did not rule out the number going up. 

Londa Toloraia, the head of the group, said they had collected photo and video evidence, as well as eyewitness testimony of widespread cases of multiple voting using copies of identification documents illegally collected before the vote.

‘Some of the voters arriving at polling stations had a piece of paper placed in their passports or attached to their ID cards containing the personal identification numbers of other individuals, which were used to cast votes. Additionally, in some cases, voters managed to vote by using a photo of an ID card stored on their phones’, Toloraia claimed. 

She said the Central Election Commission’s last minute decision to assign roles to precinct election commission members seven days in advance as opposed to on election day itself was key in ensuring people in on the scheme were in the right positions to pull it off.

These registrars were allegedly tasked with quickly entering the personal ID numbers written on those papers into the verification machine. They were then allegedly tasked to skip or perform poorly the procedure of inking a person’s finger, which is meant to prevent people from voting multiple times, allowing these fraudulent voters to cast ballots again in other polling stations. 

She added that the polling stations were arranged in a way that prevented observers from monitoring these procedures.

Some observers who protested this, she said, were confronted by election officials and in some cases expelled from polling stations.

She also accused pro-government observer groups of participating in the conspiracy by attempting to ‘neutralise’ monitors by ‘stirring up chaos’ to distract observers from monitoring voter verification procedures.

Zourabichvili criticises Orbán’s visit to Georgia

President Salome Zourabichvili has criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his visit to Georgia in an interview with Deutsche Welle, emphasising that he does not represent the EU.

‘I don't think he has any mandate from the EU. It’s very clear for the Georgian population, which is very politically aware, that if he comes, he only comes as a friend of the current ruling majority, in a new attempt to psychologically impress the population. But we are more resilient than that’, Zourabichvili said.

🎙️Interview with @dwnews pic.twitter.com/hYZsSY19Um

— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) October 28, 2024

Greens/EFA in EU Parliament: Georgian elections ‘far from democratic’

The Greens/EFA group in the EU Parliament have published a statement by their MEP Markéta Gregorová, who served as an official observer to Georgia’s parliamentary elections. 

‘These elections were far from democratic. As an official observer for the European Parliament, our mission witnessed repeated voting, voter intimidation, physical assaults, and even instances of individuals casting multiple ballots. All reported violations during election day must be investigated and addressed’, Gregorová said. 

She also spoke on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Georgia, stating that he ‘is not representing the EU in Georgia today’. She added that ‘once again, Orbán is exploiting Hungary’s Council Presidency to serve his own interests, favouring pro-Russian allies and spreading misinformation’.

International media freedom organisations condemn abuse and violence against journalists during elections

Reporters Without Borders, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, and Media Freedom Rapid Response have all posted on X condemning abuse and violence directed towards journalists during the elections on Saturday.

#Georgia: while covering the parliamentary elections, journalists from @RFERL and @MtavariChannel were subjected to threats and insults. RSF condemns this violence and intimidation and calls for transparent investigations. https://t.co/UAAArMpuiM pic.twitter.com/B8IxcdgNrs

— RSF (@RSF_inter) October 28, 2024

#Georgia: while covering the parliamentary elections, journalists from @RFERL and @MtavariChannel were subjected to threats and insults. RSF condemns this violence and intimidation and calls for transparent investigations. https://t.co/UAAArMpuiM pic.twitter.com/B8IxcdgNrs

On 26 October, journalists from @MtavariChannel and TV Pirveli faced threats and verbal attacks while covering #Georgia's parliamentary elections. The abuse targeting media workers at polling stations is unacceptable. ECPMF calls on Georgian govt to respect journalists. https://t.co/4MgdOArNxj

— European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (@ECPMF) October 28, 2024

Borrell reiterates that Orbán ‘does not represent’ the EU

EU High Representative Josep Borrell has reiterated in an interview with Spain’s Radio Nacional that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán does not represent the EU. 

‘The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, is going to visit Georgia today … most likely to confirm his support for the Georgian authorities. Whatever Mr. Orbán says during his visit, he does not represent the European Union’, Borrell said.

A similar statement was made earlier today by the German Ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer. 

Riot police mobilise in the courtyard of the Georgian Parliament 

According to Swedish journalist Rasmus Canbäck, riot police have been mobilised in the courtyard of the Georgian Parliament building in Tbilisi.

Special forces just arrived at the parliament. pic.twitter.com/gm6GClfUZq

— Rasmus Canbäck (@CanbackRasmus) October 28, 2024

German Ambassador: Orbán only speaks for the Hungarian government, not the EU

The German ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, has clarified in a post on X that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not represent the EU during his working visit to Georgia today and tomorrow. 

A message of clarification to Georgian friends: When @PM_ViktorOrban arrives in #Tbilisi, he will speak for the Hungarian government, NOT on behalf of the European Union.
For 🇪🇺 position, please refer to @CharlesMichel, @eucopresident & @JosepBorrellF.
For 🇩🇪 position, stay here. pic.twitter.com/pxs2IVGYhi

— Peter Fischer (@Diplo_Peter) October 28, 2024

Khazaradze says action plan will be revealed today

The leader of the opposition group Strong Georgia, Mamuka Khazaradze, has said that an action plan will be announced at tonight’s rally. Khazaradze’s announcement followed an extraordinary meeting of the opposition parties earlier today.

‘It will be a peaceful demonstration and I will introduce to you the plan there’, he told reporters.

Duda reiterates Poland’s ‘unwavering support’ for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations

Polish President Andrzej Duda held a phone conversation with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, in which they discussed the ‘deeply concerning situation’ following the elections. Duda also reiterated Poland’s ‘unwavering support’ for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

Just had a phone call with President @Zourabichvili_S 🇬🇪. We discussed the deeply concerning situation in Georgia following recent parliamentary elections. I reiterated Poland's unwavering support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian nation.

— Andrzej Duda (@AndrzejDuda) October 28, 2024

MEPs: ‘It is a pivotal moment for Georgia’

The Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister; the Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, Nils Ušakovs; and  Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, Sergey Lagodinsky, have issued a joint statement calling for all reported investigations to be investigated and appropriately addressed ‘without due delay’.

‘Georgian people have once again showed [sic] their engagement and commitment to democracy, not only by using their right to vote in large numbers but also by active participation in observing these elections and reporting irregularities’, the statement read.

The MEPs called this period a ‘pivotal moment for Georgia’, noting that these were the first elections since the country was granted EU candidacy status in 2023, a status which was frozen following the adoption of the foreign agents law. 

‘We hope that the aftermath of the elections will be peaceful and democratic and that immediate steps will be taken to bring Georgia back on the EU path, fulfilling the aspirations of Georgians’, they wrote, adding that ‘we stand ready to assist Georgia as it navigates this critical period and works to secure a democratic and prosperous future for all its citizens’.

‘I saw fraud’ is trending on Facebook

On Facebook, Georgia’s most popular social media platform, users began using the hashtag #მევნახეგაყალბება, meaning ‘I saw fraud’, to report the election day violations they witnessed, with some even sharing documented evidence. This latest parliamentary vote saw a high mobilisation of volunteer citizen observers.

ISFED says they won’t publish parallel counting

The election observation organisation ISFED has stated that ‘a set of revealed fundamental violations in the pre-election period and election day influenced the manifestation of the free will of the voters and, therefore, the election results cannot be considered as an expression of the will of the voters of Georgia’.

According to ISFED, this is the reason for not publishing the parallel vote count, ‘because it cannot be used as a measure of the validity of the 2024 election process’.

Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili earlier today called on ISFED to make their parallel vote count public, accusing them of ‘hiding data’.

Gakharia: For Georgia ‘won’t legitimise the illegitimate parliament’

At a press conference today, Giorgi Gakharia, chair of the opposition For Georgia party, stated that his party ‘won’t legitimise’ the new parliament, responding to a question on whether they would use or relinquish their parliamentary mandates.

He also confirmed the party would join the demonstration planned today in Tbilisi. 

At today’s press conference, Gakharia also spoke at length about ‘more than enough evidence’ pointing to voter pressure allegedly orchestrated by Georgian Dream. 

He claimed that IDs of voters were confiscated before the vote day, suggesting that such actions would have been impossible without the involvement of the State Security Service, the Central Election Commission, and the Justice Ministry. 

Gakharia also alleged that the incumbent party pressured public employees, not only forcing them to vote for Georgian Dream but also tasking them with ensuring their family members did the same.

Azerbaijani PM congratulates Kobakhidze

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov has congratulated his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Kobakhidze, on ‘the victory of Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia in the parliamentary elections’. 

‘This victory once again confirmed the support of the friendly Georgian people for the political course implemented by the country's leading political force’, he said, adding that the election results would ‘strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia’.

Papuashvili demands ISFED make the results of their parallel count public

Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has called on the election observer organisation ISFED to publish their results, accusing the organisation of  hiding data.

‘We demand that the ISFED make the results of the parallel counting fully public’, he said.

Zourabichvili and Sandu discuss Georgia’s elections

President Salome Zourabichvili held a phone call with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, during which they discussed Georgia’s parliamentary elections.

I just spoke with @Zourabichvili_S following Georgia's elections.

Moldova stands with all Georgians fighting for freedom, democracy and a European future.

— Maia Sandu (@sandumaiamd) October 28, 2024

According to the presidential administration, Zourabichvili then called the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda. 

Russian propagandist calls Georgian emigrants ‘vagrants and traitors’

According to Formula, Kremlin propagandist Aleksandr Dugin has called emigrant Georgians ‘vangrants and traitors’, claiming that their votes should not count. 

‘The place of liberals is in clinics and isolation centres, not at polling stations. First they have to go through face control, through OSINT and only after that they should be allowed to vote. And that too only for the Georgian Dream or for some even better, pro-Georgian and solid [party]. We need to open training courses on how to vote correctly and only after completing the course hand over the responsible voter passport’, he said.

UK supports OSCE/ODIHR preliminary findings

The Minister for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, has stated that the UK supports the OSCE/ODIHR’s preliminary findings on the Georgian parliamentary elections, noting that the UK contributed 50 short-term observers to the monitoring mission.

Citing ‘the misuse of administrative resources, a highly polarised campaign environment, as well as widespread intimidation and coercion against voters’, Doughty claimed that these were ‘not the actions of an open, democratic society and run contrary to international standards’. 

‘The Georgian authorities must investigate all irregularities and reverse this declining commitment to democracy. We will be monitoring this closely together with our international partners, and stand ready to support’, he added.

Papuashvili calls Zourabichvili’s post-election statement ‘disinformation’

The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has given a briefing about ‘disinformation related to the elections’.

He blamed President Salome Zourabichvili and the opposition for being ‘stupid because before they were clinging to some ballots, paper, now they are fighting with technology’.

‘They do not even realise that they are in the 21st century, they [fought] technology that cannot be blamed [...] This is absolute stupidity to do’, he said.

‘Their main problem is that they think they are above the Georgian people and they think the Georgian people are stupid. They failed to fool even their own supporters and lost 62,000 voters. Of course, they cannot fool the entire population’, he added.

EU Parliament's EPP Group: the EU ‘will not just stand by and let the fraud happen’

The EU Parliament’s European People’s Party (EPP) Group's spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Michael Gahler, has declared that the EU will ‘not just stand by and let the fraud happen’, following Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili’s announcement yesterday evening that the elections were ‘completely rigged’. 

With the strong statement of the Georgian president not recognising the election result, the EU will not just stand by and let the fraud happen, while Orban sides with the fraudsters. The Russian proxies way of falsifying elections behind a legal Potemkin facade must not succeed.

— Michael Gahler (@gahler_michael) October 28, 2024

Estonian President: ‘Estonia stands with the Georgian people’

Estonian President Alar Karis has noted ‘very alarming concerns’ about the Georgian elections being ‘free and fair’, while highlighting that ‘Estonia stands firmly with the Georgian people’ and President Zourabichvili. 

Estonia has always supported the European dream of the Georgian people. Very alarming concerns have been raised about the elections being free and fair. Democracy thrives on trust. Every vote counts, and every voice matters.

— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) October 28, 2024

Armenian observers: Georgian elections ‘marred by significant violations’

The Armenian Independent Observer alliance has highlighted in their preliminary statement that the Georgian parliamentary elections ‘were marred by significant violations, which overshadow the credibility of the election results’.

The statement noted that their observers were hindered in three polling stations. They stated that in polling station #4 in Marneuli, their observer was ‘physically assaulted when he tried to film the situation’, and the mission was ‘forced to cease monitoring at the site’.

‘The mission noticed a number of steps taken by representatives of the Georgian Dream party and election commissions, which aimed to reduce the confidence of voters in the secrecy of voting: starting from the shape and location of polling booths to the ruling party’s installation of cameras at polling stations and spreading disinformation about other forms of controlling the vote’, read the statement.

In several stations, their observers saw that before entering their voting booth, voters approached a Georgian Dream representative in the area, who made notes on their list.

‘During the pre-election period and on the voting day, the mission received numerous credible reports on voter buying, and the use of administrative resources for voter intimidation, which was sometimes coupled with the collection of voter identification (ID) cards’.

Norway ‘concerned’ by OSCE/ODIHR report

The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, has stated he is ‘concerned’ by the OSCE/ODIHR elections report documenting ‘numerous irregularities, pressure on voters, intimidation, and an unlevel playing field’. 

‘Uncertainties relating to the integrity of [the] electoral process undermine confidence and must be addressed’, he added. 

Russian far-right organisation expresses support for Georgian Dream

Russkaya Obshchina, a Russian far-right group, has accused Russian liberals and supporters of former President Mikheil Saakashvili of being ‘non-humans’ who want the death of Russians and Georgians. 

They’ve openly expressed support for Georgian Dream, stating that ‘we, the Russian people living in Georgia, are firmly determined to the end and to the best of our ability to help and facilitate the establishment of our dear brothers, friends of Russia, in parliament.’

‘Now our coordinator is waiting for a signal from the headquarters of the Georgian Dream, be prepared to enter into a real fight for Georgia’, they said.

Swedish Foreign Minister ‘seriously concerned’ by election irregularities

Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria Stenergard, has written that she is ‘seriously concerned’ about the irregularities reported by OSCE/ODIHR and other observers in Georgia’s elections, calling on the Georgian authorities to ‘credibly address these concerns’. 

Seriously concerned by the irregularities in Georgia’s elections reported by OSCE/ODIHR and other observers.

To restore trust I urge Georgian authorities to credibly address these concerns in an inclusive political process.

We are ready to work on Georgia’s European…

— Maria M Stenergard (@MariaStenergard) October 27, 2024

Zakharova criticises Zourabichvili and Georgia’s ‘European future’

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has responded to President Salome Zourabichvili’s statement yesterday evening, which called the recognition of the election results tantamount to recognising ‘Georgia’s subordination to Russia’ and emphasised that it was ‘not possible for anyone to take away Georgia’s European future’.

In her response, Zakharova criticised the concept of a ‘European future’, claiming that Washington had ‘taken away’ such a concept from the EU by ‘luring away business leaders’ and causing mass illegal migration due to their ‘American ventures in the Middle East and North Africa’.

‘Therefore, it is simply stupid to believe that the EU can bestow a “European future” on anyone else […] As long as countries and peoples think for themselves, and do not unquestioningly follow the orders of their Washington curators, they have a future’, she said. 

She also questioned how a ‘Georgian future’ was worse than a European one, citing comments from Zourabichvili’s cousin, the French politician Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, who called the EU an ‘authoritarian organisation’.

Polish Foreign Minister calls on Europe to stand with Georgians

The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radek Sikorski, has called on Europe to ‘stand with the Georgian people’ following Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili’s announcement that the elections were ‘completely rigged’. 

The President of Georgia has announced that the parliamentary elections were falsified. Europe must now stand with the Georgian people.

— Radek Sikorski (@radeksikorski) October 27, 2024

Polish MPs note multiple election violations in Bolnisi

Members of the Polish parliamentary observation mission to Georgia have given a statement to OC Media about their assessment of the conduct of the elections based on their first-hand observations at polling stations in Tbilisi and Bolnisi.

The Polish MPs noted multiple violations, including the presence of ‘people actively campaigning’ in the immediate vicinity of polling stations in and around Bolnisi.

‘In each of the polling stations in the Bolnisi region — both inside and outside — there was a ruling party coordinator who made no secret at all of the fact that their role was to carry out election coordination. We have photographic documentation that these coordinators drew up lists of people to be brought by specific people to the polling station at a specific time. Next to the names of these people were addresses, telephone numbers, and the person responsible for bringing these people to the polling station’, MP Marek Rząsa, the mission’s coordinator, told OC Media.

‘We express far-reaching concern about the democratic nature of the electoral process and the conviction that the election results do not fully reflect the will of Georgian society’, Rząsa said.

‘I would like to express the hope that the Georgian people will be able to find enough strength within themselves to ensure that these elections can provide Georgians with the kind of future they deserve, the kind of future they hope for, in a peaceful, transparent, fair, and democratic manner’, he added.

Latvian President in solidarity with Zourabichvili

The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, has shared his ‘full solidarity with the people of Georgia and President Zourabichvili’ in a post on X. 

Georgian people have European dream, no one has the right to steal this dream through intimidation and manipulation. Full solidarity with the people of Georgia and President @Zourabichvili_S 🇱🇻 🤝 🇬🇪

— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) October 27, 2024

Lithuania: ‘difficult to recognise these elections as free and fair’

Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared that in the context of an ‘unprecedented number of incidents and systematic violations […] Lithuania finds it difficult to recognize these elections as ‘free and fair’, citing Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili’s refusal to accept the election results. 

‘We believe that the EU will continue its political contacts with Georgia suspended, and its financial assistance to [the] Georgian Government frozen. Moreover, additional restrictive measures against those responsible for fraudulent elections must be considered without further delay’, they added.

Czechia concerned about election irregularities

The Czech Foreign Ministry has posted on X that they are ‘concerned about reported irregularities’ during the parliamentary elections on Saturday and called on the Georgian authorities to ‘honour democratic values and reverse the actions that threaten Georgia's European direction’.

Czechia is concerned about reported irregularities during the parliamentary elections in Georgia. We are closely following the situation in the country. We call on all sides to refrain from violence.

— Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@CzechMFA) October 27, 2024

Borrell calls on authorities to investigate ‘electoral irregularities’

The European Commission and its Vice-President Josep Borrell have released a joint statement calling on Georgia’s Central Election Commission and ‘other relevant authorities’ to ‘fulfil their duty to swiftly, transparently, and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof’. 

They further called on Georgia to ‘adopt democratic, comprehensive, and sustainable reforms, in line with the core principles of European integration’ and emphasised that ‘any legislation that undermines the fundamental rights and freedoms of Georgian citizens and runs counter to the values and principles upon which the EU is founded, must be repealed’.

US Senator Ben Cardin: reports from observers ‘troubling’ and ‘disappointing’

The Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin, has called the reports from international and domestic observers — which highlighted that ‘Georgia’s Election Day was marred by violence, intimidation, exclusion of accredited observers from polling stations, and inconsistent application of procedures’ — ‘troubling’ and ‘disappointing’.

He added that he would continue to ‘closely monitor’ the post-election environment and would ‘work with the Biden-Harris administration to determine the appropriate response in the US-Georgian relationship’.

Blinken calls on Georgian political leaders to ‘respect the rule of law’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Georgia’s political leaders to ‘respect the rule of law’ and move Georgia ‘towards its Euro-Atlantic future’. 

The Georgian people embraced democracy yesterday. Now Georgia’s political leaders must respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, address deficiencies in the electoral process, and move Georgia toward its Euro-Atlantic future.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 28, 2024

In a more detailed press statement, Blinken stated that Saturday’s turnout demonstrated the ‘Georgian people’s embrace of democracy’. He highlighted that international and local observers agreed that election day was ‘generally well-administered’, but called for a ‘full investigation of all reports of election-related violations’.