Georgia held its 2024 parliamentary elections under a new fully proportional system on Saturday, with voters set to elect all 150 members of parliament in a single round of voting.
The Georgian Dream party secured 54.24% of the votes, while the four opposition groups earned 38,22%.
While the Georgian Dream celebrates the victory, the President and the opposition parties decry the legitimacy of the elections and announce a ‘new stage of fight.’
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili called on citizens on Sunday to gather on Rustaveli Avenue in downtown Tbilisi on October 28 at 7 p.m., and “tell each other and the world that we don’t recognize these elections, we defend our constitutional right and every vote and our future.”
Earlier on Sunday, local and international observation missions held press points over preliminary assessments.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association observation mission identified “violations of voting procedures, obstruction of observers, violations of voter secrecy, and influence on voters.”
According to the OSCE/ODHIR delegation’s preliminary findings, “Election day was generally procedurally well-organized and administered in an orderly manner but marked by a tense environment, with frequent compromises in vote secrecy and several procedural inconsistencies, as well as reports of intimidation and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process.”
Pascal Allizard, OSCE special Co-ordinator expressed “sincere hope for the people of this country that the leadership elected yesterday will effectively take care of the key challenge facing the nation and bring Georgia ever closer to its declared goal of the European Union membership.”
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze cited the OSCE/ODHIR assessment later in a briefing: “The observers specifically referred to an ‘elected government’ in their evaluation, which indicates their recognition of the election’s legitimacy. The election was competitive, in line with international standards and their assessment accurately reflects the current picture.”
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili also dismissed opposition claims questioning the election’s legitimacy, citing assessments from international observers.
“The OSCE-ODIHR’s final evaluation confirms the election’s legitimacy,” Papuashvili said, adding that the new parliament will convene within ten days after the Central Election Commission issues its summary protocol in mid-November.
Soon after the exit polls were published, the Georgian Dream (GD) party honorary chair, Bidzina Ivanishvili thanked the party supporters for backing the GD “with such loyalty in the fourth election in a raw.”
“It’s rare worldwide for the same party to achieve such significant success in such challenging circumstances,” Ivanishvili addressed the supporters outside the party HQ.
The Chairman of Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Giorgi Kalandarishvili hailed the elections as “historic,” marking the country’s first large-scale use of electronic voting machines.
In a protest of the election upshots, the Coalition for Change and Unity – National Movement decided to renounce its parliamentary mandates on Sunday evening.
Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change / Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, and Droa, deemed the elections “stolen,” calling it “a constitutional coup.”
Tina Bokuchava, the Head of the United National Movement (UNM) party, stated: “The CEC performed the dirty order of the Georgian Dream, oligarch Ivanishvili stole the Georgian people’s victory and thus stole the European future.”
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the Strong Georgia coalition, also rejected the election results as “Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream, in collaboration with Russian special services, have stolen this election from the Georgian people.”
Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the For Georgia party pledged the party would join “people’s but not parties’ protests.” “This is not the time to lose hope. Now is the moment to protect every Georgian citizen’s vote by any means necessary.”
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, called on the Central Election Commission and other relevant authorities “to fulfil their duty to swiftly, transparently and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof. These alleged irregularities must be seriously clarified and addressed.”
“I intend to put Georgia on the agenda of the informal EUCO in Budapest,” Michel wrote on X.
Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Joe Wilson also issued the statement, calling on the U.S. Department of State to “carefully examine the allegations of fraud and if determined that this is the case, to make a clear statement to that effect.”
“I am troubled by the credible allegations of systematic violations in the Georgian parliamentary election. I am also disturbed by the well-documented efforts by Russia to sway the election. Our MEGOBARI Act will seek to punish those who are undermining democracy in Georgia and support the people of Georgia in their quest for freedom and strengthened sovereignty. Georgian people deserve a government that listens to and respects their voices,” Joe Wilson asserted.
