Pro-Putin party wins contested election as Georgia drifts further from US, Europe

Georgia’s pro-Western president is calling on his nation’s citizens to take to the streets and protest the disputed outcome of recent parliamentary elections which she considered a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Georgia borders with Russia.

“As the last independent institution, I cannot recognize these elections – it would legitimize Russia’s takeover of Georgia. Our ancestors endured too much for us to surrender our European future,” Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said in a statement released on X. In an interview with the Associated Press she said the election was “rigged with the help of Russia.”

The results are a massive blow for a country striving to join the European Union and identify closer with the West. The opposition’s loss could derail Georgia’s hopes of becoming a member of the European Union and place it further under Russia’s grip.

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“The election result is a win for Putin, whose goal since he became president of Russia in 1999, has always been to reintegrate former Soviet states back under Russia’s control,” Rebekah Koffler, former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, told Fox News Digital. 

Koffler added, “Did the Russian intelligence services – the GRU and the FSB – have a hand in swaying the election? While there’s no evidence at this time that votes have been manipulated and changed after being cast, influence operations targeting presidential elections is standard for Putin’s playbook. But the way it’s done is through financing, intimidation and agitation. And it’s extremely hard to identify, track and make conclusive analysis about such activities.”

The U.S. is taking the side of Georgia’s pro-European president and those looking to get out from under Russia’s influence. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the reports of irregularities and sporadic violence and that international observers have not declared the result to be free and fair. 

A young demonstrator holds a poster during an opposition protest against the results of the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

“We condemn all contraventions of international norms and join calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations,” Blinken said in a statement.

“This is a precarious moment for Georgia. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, must recognize that its actions could have immediate consequences on its economic and security agenda. Russia has also undoubtedly benefitted from sowing division and disinformation, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a senior member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho., ranking member of the committee, said in a joint statement.

“We recognize the right of the Georgian people to, if they so choose, protest peacefully and call on the relevant Georgian authorities to respect this deeply important democratic right,” the senators said.

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In this photo taken from video released by Georgian Dream Party on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze addresses the parliamentary election in Tbilisi. (Georgian Dream Party via AP)

Georgian Dream, the Russian-backed party, claimed victory shortly after polls closed on Saturday, with around 54% of the vote. The united opposition garnered only 38%. The ruling party even had an assist from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who sent congratulations to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the Georgian Dream party before the election results were even released. Orban visited Tbilisi and provided further legitimacy to the government’s disputed victory.

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Many opposition figures reject the victory claimed by Georgian Dream and call the election stolen and rigged.

The Georgian president and many Western observers confirmed that the election results were marred by irregularities, including fraud and ballot stuffing.

Supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party attend a rally in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

The election was “marked by a tense environment and several incidents of physical altercations and widespread intimidation of voters,” the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), noted in a statement. European Council President Charles Michel is calling for an investigation into the alleged irregularities.

Some Georgians, outraged by the results, have already taken to the streets to voice opposition and planned protests are taking place outside the parliament. If mass protests break out as the president and others have called for, and are met with violence from security forces, tensions could spiral even more.

Campaign billboards of the ruling Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi on Oct. 22, 2024, ahead of the parliamentary elections. (Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP via Getty Images)

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Many Georgians have strong aspirations to join the EU, with polls showing up to 83% of them supporting such a move. The Georgian Dream Party has stalled Georgia’s efforts of joining the EU since it became a candidate member in 2023. The EU subsequently put Georgia’s process on hold after a controversial “foreign agent” law that required citizens, non-governmental organizations, media outlets and other civil society organizations that receive over 20% in funding from abroad to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Ministry.

Following the passage of the pro-Kremlin foreign agent law, the U.S. imposed sanctions and travel bans on Georgian officials who voted for the law and security agencies responsible for cracking down on dissent. The State Department also paused $95 million in assistance to the government.

THE Associated Press contributed to this article.