Tens of thousands of Georgians converged on the country’s parliament building on Monday night, calling for the annulment of the previous weekend’s parliamentary election, which the president described as rigged with the help of Russia. The massive demonstration deepened the political crisis in the South Caucasus country, where the governing Georgian Dream party has become increasingly authoritarian and pro-Russian. President Salome Zourabichvili, a mostly ceremonial head of state, assured the protesters that she would defend the country’s path towards Europe against the actions of the Georgian Dream party. She emphasized that “we have no alternative and nothing else we want to leave this country for the next generations” and that “we are going to fight until victory and we promise you, we will definitely win together”. Zourabichvili, who has refused to recognize the official results, accused the government of working in cahoots with Russia, citing the use of Russian propaganda against Georgia’s pursuit of EU membership.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili (Image via Getty)
The protesters, many of whom waved Georgian and European Union flags, were led by leaders of the opposition United National Movement coalition, who vowed not to participate in any talks with the government and instead demand a new election under international supervision. Giorgi Vashadze, the leader of the coalition, stated, “We are not going to enter this parliament. We refuse all mandates. We are not going to enter into any negotiations. We are going to fight until victory and we promise you, we will definitely win together.” Vashadze and other opposition figures accused the Georgian Dream party of stealing the election, pointing to allegations of vote-buying, double voting, and physical violence during the campaign.
The EU and US have urged a full investigation into the election results, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stating, “Georgians, like all Europeans, must be masters of their own destiny.” The opposition is calling for international supervision to ensure a free and fair election, as they believe that without it, the government will cheat its way to victory.
The protest was the largest in recent years, with many Georgians expressing frustration and anger at the government’s allegedly rigged election. Student Lana Togonidze, 20, expressed the sentiment, saying, “We hope the West will see that the Georgian people are not standing by this government, we hope they will not recognize these elections as legitimate, and they will not validate this government.”
