Georgia’s October 26 Parliamentary elections did not hold up as “free and fair” even under the lightest of scrutiny. Despite the presence of a large number of foreign election observers, the ruling “Georgian Dream” Party almost instantly declared victory with 54 percent of the vote, and the rest of the country’s electoral candidates promptly challenged that, including the country’s pro-western President, Salome Zourabishvili, citing massive irregularities.
The Georgian Dream party’s support was strongest in rural areas while the opposition, although not completely united, did relatively better in many urban areas. Georgian Dream campaign themes focused on “safeguarding peace” through a “pragmatic policy” with Russia amid the war in Ukraine along with socially conservative policies.
Massive street protests were organized starting on October 27 in the capital Tbilisi, and if recent history is any guide, they will likely continue for some time.
“You did not lose the election,” Zourabishvili told the thousands of protesters in Tbilisi on the evening of October 28. “They stole your vote and tried to steal your future, but no one has the right to do that, and you will not let anyone do that!”
In calling for the protests, President Zourabishvili claimed that the official result was evidence of a “Russian special operation — one of the new forms of hybrid warfare carried out on our people, our country.”
Georgia is not Nicolas Maduro’s Venezuela, yet these recent elections have something in common. In both cases the weakened and unpopular incumbent parties, supported in some way by Moscow and its special Russian hybrid variant of authoritarianism, have refused to relinquish power peacefully to western-oriented democratic opposition parties.
The Georgian Dream-led government is controlled by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire oligarch who amassed his wealth in 1990s Moscow and has since skillfully appointed loyalists to key government positions. He served one term as Prime Minister; the Georgian Dream government now hopes to assume its fourth term.
Partial recount of ballots ordered
For now, a partial recount has been ordered, but this will cover only a small share of votes cast and the polling stations will be selected randomly (five per electoral district), essentially reviewing about 14 percent of all ballots. It is unclear when the results will be released. Georgian law does permit foreign observers to monitor the process.
Also, Georgian prosecutors have summoned President Zourabishvili to testify as they launched an investigation into possible fraud during the October 26 elections amid allegations of violations from both the opposition and Zourabishvili herself.
The Prosecutor’s Office seems to expect me to provide evidence. In any standard investigation,it’s the investigative body’s duty to gather proof,not the other way around. I've never seen an investigative authority ask a president for election-related evidence.#GeorgiaElections pic.twitter.com/4Dog0gMMdB
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) October 30, 2024
The Georgian Prosecutor-General’s Office said in a statement that its probe had been opened after Zourabishvili declared that the election was marred by violations and refused to accept the results. The President’s position in Georgia is largely ceremonial.
The statement pledges to conduct “all necessary investigative and procedural actions, as indicated in the appeal by the Central Election Commission, as well as with the aim of studying the accusations voiced by the President of Georgia, the representatives of individual political parties, and the observer missions.”
International observers sound off
The international election observation mission to the parliamentary elections in Georgia totaled 529 observers from 42 countries, composed of 380 OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed experts, long-term, and short-term observers, 60 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), 39 from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), 38 from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and 12 from the European Parliament (EP).
The joint international election observation mission noted deepening political divisions, as well as a significant imbalance in financial resources and the many advantages taken by the ruling party (Georgian Dream) contributed to an already uneven playing field. In the run-up to the elections, numerous civil society organisations reported on the stigmatizing impact of the “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence,” (also known as the Foreign Agents Law and/or the Russian Law) together with incidents of attacks and intimidation. This, along with potential sanctions for not complying with the law, has also reduced their ability to carry out their work free from undue pressure.
“These elections were marked by high polarization of the political and media landscape, hate speech against the opposition and the civil society and antagonism towards the office of the President,” according to Iulian Bulai, Head of the PACE delegation. He continued, “The quality of the elections reflected the pre-electoral period. Given the cases of vote-buying, widespread climate of pressure and party-organised intimidation before and during the elections, especially in rural areas, questions about the impartiality of state institutions, we express our concerns about the electoral conditions, in particular the uneven playing field which undermines trust in the outcome and explains the reactions to the election results. These issues need to be addressed by the authorities.”
“Imbalances in financial resources, a divisive campaign atmosphere, and recent legislative amendments were of significant concern throughout this election process,” explained Pascal Allizard, Leader of the OSCE short-term observer mission. “Yet the engagement shown on election day—from the active voter participation, robust presence of citizen and party observers, and rich diversity of voices—gives the sign of a system that is still growing and evolving, with a democratic vitality under construction.”
Georgia’s EU path in limbo
Georgia was only recently awarded formal EU candidate status in December 2023, but the new media law (see above) introduced in spring 2024 essentially froze all progress on that front as most observers counted down to the October election in the hopes of seeing democratic progress.
Having immediately congratulated the Georgian Dream on its “overwhelming victory” on election night, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban — leader of the rotating EU Council presidency until the end of 2024 — promised Hungarian support for Georgia’s integration into the European Union. During the Hungarian EU Council presidency (July-December 2024) the country has been able to delay most EU decisions regarding Georgia which otherwise require consensus, sometimes forcing EU leaders to act in their own capacities to bypass Orban’s obstructionism.
On 28 October, Orban made a brief congratulatory visit to Georgia, which President Zourabishvili dismissed as a “political play,” adding that Orbán was a “special friend” of Georgian Dream.
The EU was able to issue a statement on the elections, released by High Representative Josep Borrell and the Commission but not agreed by the member states, thanks to Hungarian interference:
Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission on the Parliamentary elections
“On Saturday 26 October, Georgian citizens voted in Parliamentary elections.
The EU has been following the developments leading to the parliamentary elections closely. Over the past months, the people of Georgia have demonstrated their attachment to democratic values and their country’s EU path.
According to the preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), “election day was generally procedurally well-organised 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. Reports of pressure on voters, particularly on public sector employees, remained widespread in the campaign. This, coupled with extensive tracking of voters on election day, raised concerns about the ability of some voters to cast their vote without fear of retribution.”
Moreover, election observers report an uneven level playing field, a divisive campaign in polarized atmosphere and significant concerns over the impact of recent legislative amendments on this election process.
We call on the Central Election Commission of Georgia and other relevant authorities to fulfil their duty to swiftly, transparently and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral irregularities and allegations thereof. Those irregularities must be clarified and addressed. That is a necessary step to re-building trust in the electoral process.
The EU looks forward to the final OSCE/ODIHR report and recommendations, which should be implemented as soon as possible.
Constructive and inclusive dialogue across the political spectrum is now paramount. In line with the European Council Conclusions of 17 October, the EU calls on Georgia to adopt democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms, in line with the core principles of European integration.
In this context, the EU recalls that any legislation that undermines the fundamental rights and freedoms of Georgian citizens and runs counter to the values and principles upon which the EU is founded, must be repealed.” End text.
Washington zeroes in on “democratic backsliding”
The U.S. Government has already applied a basket of sanctions on Georgian officials for a range of troubling anti-democratic practices, dating from September. On October 29, The White House issued a strongly worded statement in President Biden’s name concerning the perceived “democratic backsliding” observed in the elections:
Statement from President Joe Biden on Democratic Backsliding in the Country of Georgia
“The United States has long stood with the Georgian people and supported the country of Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. That is why I have been deeply alarmed by the country’s recent democratic backsliding, including the enactment of legislation mirroring Russian laws that restrict fundamental freedoms and limit the space for independent civil society organizations. Most recently, Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections were marred by numerous recorded misuses of administrative resources as well as voter intimidation and coercion.
Georgian citizens have a right to peacefully express their views regarding the conduct of these elections, which independent international and domestic observers have not said were free and fair. We call on the Georgian government to transparently investigate all election irregularities, to repeal laws such as the so-called “Foreign Influence Law” that limit freedoms of assembly and expression, and to begin an immediate, inclusive dialogue with all political forces in Georgia about restoring election integrity. We call for all parties to strictly respect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, which remain the foundation for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future.” End text.
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