All four major pro-European parties, including my own, have rejected the election results in Georgia (Natalia Antelava, 28 October). It was not just the United National Movement that challenged the results of rigged elections – most of the opposition, civil society and a significant number of citizens (as evidenced by the recent protest in Tbilisi) consider the elections neither free nor fair.
The US has even requested a full investigation. Importantly, the opposition has been represented by those with connections to the previous government of Mikheil Saakashvili as well as those who were strongly opposed to both the previous and current governments.
The population had a choice; they could say yes to Europe by voting for any of the four opposition parties. And the exit polls, which have been historically representative of actual election results, predicted a big victory for them. The fact that the government has claimed victory is connected not to the fear of war among voters, but to widespread violations of the principles of fairness in these elections.
Georgia’s electoral commission claims that there are 1.1 million Georgian Dream voters in the country, yet it has not had more than 800,000 supporters since 2020. According to the official results, the government gained 300,000 votes, while the opposition gained only 1,000 more than in the previous elections – numbers too suspicious to be true, especially considering the reports of double-voting.
An international investigation is needed to prove that it’s not the success of government propaganda but rigging that influenced the election results. We, the opposition, will demand an investigation as well as delegitimisation of Georgia’s de facto government.
Davit Jintcharadze
Freedom Square party (Strong Georgia coalition)
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