On Nov. 4, thousands of opposition supporters protested outside Georgia’s Parliament for the second consecutive week, claiming that the election on Oct. 26 was rigged by Russians to favor the ruling Georgian Dream Party.
Demonstrators held up the Georgian and EU flags and demanded new elections with international oversight, as well as an investigation into alleged voting fraud.
Key opposition figures like Badri Japaridze of the Lelo Strong Georgia Coalition have declared that they will boycott parliament and continue protesting until their demands are met.
The protests are a result of growing dissatisfaction towards Georgian Dream. Critics accuse it of authoritarian tendencies, and of aligning itself with Moscow to the detriment of EU aspirations.
Opposition leaders called for the West to refuse to recognize the election results amid the protests, which was closely monitored by riot officers.
European election observers reported a divisive electoral environment, with incidents of bribery and double voting.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, said on October 27 that the Georgian Parliament will approve the current government despite protests from the opposition.
Tbilisi adopted the controversial law on foreign agents earlier this year, which also sparked massive demonstrations.
The European Commission announced that shortly after the announcement of the election results, on October 30, the process for Georgia’s entry into the European Union was suspended.
The European Commission stated that although Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December last year, the process of accession has “de facto been halted” due to the actions taken by the Georgian Government since Spring 2024.
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