Two more Georgian opposition parties reject election results
Photo: Giorgi Gakharia (facebook.com/GakhariaGiorgi)
The opposition party Gakharia - For Georgia and the Lelo coalition have refused to recognize the results of Georgia’s parliamentary elections. The opposition called for "reasonable protests," reports Echo of the Caucasus.
"The fact that can be stated unequivocally is that Ivanishvili has suppressed the will of the citizens of Georgia. The elections and the results that were published do not reflect the will of the Georgian people. Unfortunately, this did not happen yesterday and did not happen in one day," said former Prime Minister and leader of the Gakharia - For Georgia party, Giorgi Gakharia.
He stated that there was a systematic nature to the intimidation of voters, bribery, manipulation with identification documents, pressure, and intimidation of civil servants and socially vulnerable individuals.
Gakharia called for "reasonable forms of protest" aimed at protecting the choices of the Georgian people.
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the Lelo party and the Strong Georgia coalition, also announced his refusal to recognize the election results.
"The elections were totally falsified. They appropriated the voices of the people and are preparing the country for Russia. It won't happen! I will not agree with this falsification, and I cannot agree... ever," stated the opposition member.
Elections in Georgia
On Saturday, October 26, parliamentary elections took place in Georgia. They were described as "decisive," as the winning party will determine the country's course for the next four years.
The coalition of opposition parties is competing against the pro-Russian Georgian Dream, which has been governing the country for over ten years. During the elections in Georgia, widespread violations were reported, including ballot stuffing, issuing multiple ballots to one person, and physical altercations.
According to the Central Election Commission of Georgia, the ruling party Georgian Dream received over 54% of the votes, followed by opposition parties.
Earlier, the opposition parties Coalition for Change, Unity - National Movement, and Strong Georgia announced that they do not recognize the election results. Some opposition members have announced plans to hold protests.
