TBILISI: Officials in Georgia announced on Thursday that a partial recount has confirmed the ruling Georgian Dream party’s victory in the disputed parliamentary election, amid calls for an investigation from Washington and Brussels.
The pro-Western opposition accused the ruling party of “stealing” the vote in Saturday’s election and has refused to recognize the results, leading to political uncertainty in the Caucasus nation.
President Salome Zurabishvili, a pro-European figure at odds with the governing party, declared the election results “illegitimate” and suggested there was a “Russian special operation” aimed at undermining the vote—a claim the Kremlin has denied.
The Central Election Commission reported that the recount, covering about 12 percent of polling stations and 14 percent of the votes, did not significantly alter the previously announced official results. A spokesperson noted that final tallies only slightly changed at approximately nine percent of the recounted stations.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets on Monday, demanding accountability for the alleged electoral fraud. International observers, along with the European Union and the United States, have criticized the electoral irregularities and called for a thorough investigation.
Georgia’s interior ministry confirmed the arrest of two individuals for alleged ballot stuffing at a provincial polling station, while prosecutors announced the opening of 47 criminal cases related to electoral violations. On Wednesday, prosecutors summoned President Zurabishvili for questioning, believing she might possess evidence of possible falsification. However, the figurehead president declined to comply, stating that sufficient evidence of electoral fraud already exists and urging prosecutors to focus on their investigation instead of engaging in “political score-settling.”
Opposition parties have announced they will not participate in the new “illegitimate” parliament and are demanding fresh elections.
