Our live coverage of the aftermath of the 2024 Georgian parliamentary elections continues, as allegations of electoral fraud grow and official investigations begin. 

We’re ending our live coverage for today. Our team is 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.

You can read our on the ground report from election day from Iormughanlo, a remote village in eastern Georgia with a majority ethnic Azerbaijani population: ‘Whoever will pay more, I will observe for him’: the Georgian parliamentary elections in Iormughanlo

And our report from Abkhazia on how the elections are being seen there: Abkhazians follow Georgia’s elections closely, but quietly.

RSF ‘alarmed’ by Russian propagandist’s presence in Georgia during elections

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a French-based organisation safeguarding the right to information and media freedoms, has expressed alarm over the presence of Alexander Malkevich, a Russian propagandist formerly associated with the Wagner Group’s Yevgeniy Prigozhin, was in Tbilisi during the Georgian elections. 

In their statement on Malkevich, RSF highlighted his role as a ‘faithful relay of Moscow’s propaganda who has specialised in supporting the Russian disinformation empire among local populations in Ukraine’s occupied territories’. They also reported that Malkevich recruits young Ukrainians living under Russian occupation.

Malkevich is wanted by the US, which is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his identification or location for engaging in interference in US elections.

#Georgia: Alexander Malkevich, founder of a 🇷🇺propaganda network in the occupied Ukrainian territories, was in Tbilisi for the 26/10 elections. RSF is alarmed by the role of this Kremlin’s relay in the proliferation of #Russian disinformation in 🇬🇪. https://t.co/fsa1Zzw2zk pic.twitter.com/YJp9YL9u5V

— RSF (@RSF_inter) October 31, 2024

Opposition to announce plans at rally on Monday

Anna Dolidze from the opposition Strong Georgia is speaking at a press conference alongside leaders of three of the four opposition groupings. Giorgi Gakharia is again notably absent.

She said that the three opposition groupings will announce their plans at a rally on Monday on Rustaveli Avenue at 19:00, vowing to begin holding protests next week.

Dolidze added that the three groups will invite representatives of ‘active groups’ for discussions tomorrow.

Unity — National Movement leader Tina Bokuchava stated that the groupings will present violations they had observed during the elections to President Zourabichvili.

CEC say they received fewer complaints these elections compared to the 2020 vote

The head of the legal department of the CEC, Giorgi Santuriani, said at a briefing that they had received fewer complaints about the 2024 parliamentary elections than after the 2020 elections, which he said ‘indicated a decreasing and positive trend’. 

‘In 2020, a total of 2,054 complaints were submitted. In 2021 — 1,840 complaints were filed, and this year, in relation to the 2024 parliamentary elections, a total of 1,170 complaints were submitted, which indicates a decreasing and positive trend that we have after 2020’.

Harris X says Georgian Dream’s 54% in the elections ‘statistically impossible’

Harris X, the company which conducted exit polls for the opposition-aligned TV Mtavari Arkhi, has issued a statement saying that it was ‘statistically impossible’ for Georgian Dream to have won the elections with 54% of the vote.

They cited ‘statistically inexplicable discrepancies’ accounting to more than 8% of the total number of the votes, or at least 172,523 votes, from at least 27 constituencies.

Dutch Ambassador challenges Georgian Dream MP’s claims about ‘progressing on EU path’

Meline Arakelian, the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Georgia, has responded to an X post by Nikoloz Samkharadze, the chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, in which he said that Georgia is ‘progressing on the EU path’ despite ‘allegations and speculations’.

Arakelian wrote that Georgia ‘is NOT progressing on its EU-path as long as there is backsliding in the area of democracy and fundamental rights’.

No Mr @Samkharadze79 , that is not the case. 🇬🇪 is NOT progressing on its 🇪🇺-path as long as there is #backsliding in the area of democracy & fundamental rights. Georgia’s EU-accession process is stopped because of this. https://t.co/Q0Vu6F603B

— Meline Arakelian (@melinearakelian) October 31, 2024

Read our article about the EU Commission’s damning report on Georgia

Our editor Nate Ostiller has summarised points the EU Commission has made about Georgia in its enlargement report. The report found that Georgia made some limited progress in its implementation of recommendations required for it to move forward in the accession process. 

ISFED: 490 incidents and violations on election day

The Executive Director of the election observation organisation ISFED, Nino Dolidze, stated during a briefing today that they had recorded a total of 490 incidents and violations on election day. She said that ISFED submitted 294 complaints and 64 notes to the election administration.

According to her, among the violations detected on the day of the election, the violation of voter secrecy was one of the ‘central and large-scale’ problems in the elections.

OSCE/ODIHR: ‘well-organised elections’ marked by ‘procedural inconsistencies’ and ‘voter intimidation and pressure’

The OSCE/ODIHR observation mission published its preliminary conclusions Georgia’s parliamentary elections.

They said the elections were generally well-organised procedurally, but characterised by a tense environment, ‘frequent compromises’ of voter secrecy, several ‘procedural inconsistencies’, and ‘reports of intimidation and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process’.

They said that they assessed 6% out of 1,924 observations negatively, ‘due to indications of pressure and intimidation of voters, which in some cases was coupled with tension or unrest inside the polling stations and overcrowding’’.

They added that voter secrecy was ‘potentially compromised’ in 24% of their observations.

‘While not against the law, in most polling stations, party representatives, mostly from [Georgian Dream], recorded the voting process. This, as observed, had an intimidating effect, as the cameras were often directed at VIDs or polling booths, potentially compromising the secrecy of the vote’.

They also stated that ‘unknown individuals’ were seen ‘tracking voters outside’ voting stations, while ‘party representatives’ tracked voters inside.

‘In some instances, IEOM observers received allegations of vote buying’, the organisation reported.

Opposition to make joint statement at 20:00

TV Formula has reported that the opposition will issue a joint statement today at 20:00. They said that three out of four opposition groupings, excluding Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party, have been conducting meetings since the morning.

Following consultation with other opposition groups, Tina Bokuchava, the leader of opposition group Unity — National Movement said that it was ‘necessary to be active using the oldest form of democracy — the protest movement’.

Freedom Square starts ‘peaceful resistance movement’

Freedom Square, an opposition movement which is part of the Strong Georgia grouping, has announced the launch of a ‘peaceful resistance movement’. Throught the movement, they said that they intend to investigate allegations of electoral fraud and identify those responsible.

Simon Janashia, one of the movement’s leaders, stated that the group will meet tomorrow at 19:00 at Mziuri Park in Tbilisi to discuss the ‘next steps with citizens’.

‘We are free citizens, so we are starting a resistance movement that will be universal, peaceful, democratic and legal, of course. The place of this movement will be everywhere. We will act in the streets, auditoriums, and parks, not only in Tbilisi, but in all regions, cities and villages of Georgia’, Janashia said.

 

Authorities ‘seize’ bank accounts of Atlantic Council’s Gelava and Buziashvili

Anna Gvarishvili, a journalist and head of the Investigative Media Lab, reported that the private bank accounts of Eto Buziashvili and Sopo Gelava of the Atlantic Council, had been frozen.

Georgian police raided the homes of Buziashvili and Gelava just two days before the parliamentary elections. 

Azerbaijani media ‘receive orders’ on Georgia coverage 

Azerbaijani exile media outlet Mikroskop has reportedly obtained secret instructions from the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration to local media and pro-government NGOs about how to report on the election.

They reported that the  main points in the instruction were: 

• ‘Voters chose peace, development, tradition, and the celebration of national values over war and conflict.’
• ‘The Georgian government should focus more attention on resolving issues in areas where Azerbaijanis live.’
• ‘Azerbaijanis in Georgia supported Azerbaijan’s regional policies, the President’s stance, and the strengthening of Azerbaijani-Georgian relations.’
• ‘Azerbaijani voters contributed 7%–8% of the ruling party’s overall vote count.’
• ‘The election results dealt a significant blow to the West’s policy in Georgia and its attempts to create dividing lines in the region.’
• ‘If the opposition had won, there would have been a policy to divide the region alongside a “Western-backed” president.’
• ‘As for Armenia, it’s likely that, eventually, this country will also realise it belongs to this region.’

In the run up to the vote, Azerbaijani state and pro-government media was highly supportive of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Prosecutor’s Office announces investigation of 47 cases of electoral fraud

Earlier today, the Prosecutor’s Office announced that they were investigating 47 cases of election rigging, influencing voters, electoral violations, and voter bribery.

They were investigating the cases alongside the Interior Ministry and the Special Investigation Service.

They stated that they were basing the investigation on requests made by opposition and ruling party politicians, the Central Election Commission (CEC), NGOs, as well as information shared by media.

They confirmed the arrest of two people in Marneuli on charges of electoral fraud. RFE/RL reported that one of those arrested was the deputy chair of the Marneuli City Council, Rovshan Iskandarov.

If found guilty, they could face up to two years in prison.

The election administration shut down the No. 69 polling station in Marneuli and later declared its results invalid after footage emerged of two men stuffing ballots into the ballot box at the station.

They also claimed that in some cases, ‘individuals who have publicly declared that they possess information and evidence related to alleged crimes committed during the election process have not yet cooperated with the investigation and refuse to provide relevant information, which delays the investigation process’

US Senator:  Election was a ‘farce’

Roger Wicker, a Republican US Senator from Mississippi, has issued a damning statement on Saturday’s vote.

‘Instead of a dignified, transparent, and lawful process, what they got was a farce’, he said. ‘The people of Georgia’s democratic choice was undermined by rampant violations, including intimidation, violence, vote buying, and results that diverged sharply from credible independent pre-election and exit polling as well as trends from prior elections.’

He expressed support for President Zourabichvili and insisted that Georgian Dream could not ‘wait out’ the US.

‘Unfortunately, the Moscow-backed Georgian Dream party seems to think that alongside Russia and its authoritarian axis, they can wait out the United States and Georgia’s democratic allies. They are wrong.’

He suggested that the elections meant an end to good relations between Georgia and the West.

‘The manipulation of this election is not only a blow to Georgia’s fragile democracy but, if allowed to stand, an end to the country's longstanding Euro-Atlantic aspirations — and possibly its very sovereignty. 

‘This is electoral fraud, and its illegitimate result must be confronted with clarity and resolve. As long as Georgian Dream clings to power through undemocratic means and under the tutelage of violent authoritarians, they will reap the contempt and isolation they so richly deserve.’

Key events from yesterday:

• President Salome Zourabichvili presented a portion of the initial evidence she claims indicates signs of electoral fraud. Zourabichvili also criticised the prosecutor’s office for implying she is responsible for producing evidence — ‘It turns out that the Prosecutor’s Office is waiting for evidence from me. I knew it was the other way around, that the investigative body had to find the evidence itself […] in any normal country it happens like that. I don’t know of any such precedent for the investigative agency to ask the president for evidence [regarding] the election’, she said.
• The EU Commission has published its annual enlargement report, including on Georgia. The commission noted that ‘while EU integration remains a stated policy objective, reforms and some developments over the last year were not in line with this objective and limited political attention was mobilised by the government to progress on the EU agenda’.
• We Vote, a coalition of local election observers, has submitted a series of complaints to annul the results of 246 election precincts, where the number of registered voters is more than 417,000.
• Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) ‘warned everyone’ that due to ‘pressure on the election administration’, any phone calls or messages addressed to the CEC that are in violation of the law will be forwarded to the relevant authorities for further action.
• The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) announced yesterday that they filed complaints with district election commissions, requesting the annulment of results from all 2,263 polling stations in districts ‘where [new] technologies were used’, citing a mass violation of ballot secrecy.