Georgia’s president calls for rally to save ‘European future’ as thousands protest disputed election

By CNN

Published October 28, 2024 1:00 PM

CNN

By Christian Edwards, CNN

(CNN) — Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has called on citizens to protest the results of a disputed election in an attempt to save the country’s “European future.”

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Zourabichvili – a pro-Western figure whose powers are largely ceremonial – said the election had been marred by unprecedented levels of interference, which aimed to knock the post-Soviet country from its path toward Europe and keep it within the Kremlin’s orbit.

Tens of thousands of Georgians massed outside the parliament on Monday night, calling for the annulment of Saturday’s parliamentary election that the opposition has said was rigged with Russia’s blessing.

Speaking soon after addressing crowds in the capital, Tbilisi, Zourabichvili said the protesters “are coming very peacefully to say, ‘We have voted, we want our votes to be defended, and we want our European future … to be defended.’”

The Russia-friendly Georgian Dream party, founded by the reclusive billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, claimed victory after a day of voting marred by violence and disorder at polling stations across the country. The Central Election Commission (CEC) said it had secured nearly 54% of the vote.

Asked why she is refusing to recognize the results of the election, Zourabichvili said Georgian Dream had used “all the instruments” at its disposal to rig the election and called for an international investigation.

The election commission told CNN it received 445 district-level complaints of irregularities on election day. On Monday, the United States called for a “full investigation” into the election, citing Georgian Dream’s “misuse of public resources, vote buying and voter intimidation.”

“We encourage Georgia’s governing officials to consider the relationship they want with the Euro-Atlantic community, rather than strengthening policies that are praised by authoritarians,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Zourabichvili said the election results were difficult to believe because actions taken this year by Georgian Dream have stalled the country’s bid to join the European Union, which polls suggest more than 80% of Georgians support.

“Every move the Georgian government has made this year is clearly designed … to make sure that we don’t get the approval of the European leaders,” Zourabichvili said.

In May, the government passed a “foreign agent” bill, referred to by Georgians as the “Russian law” because of its similarities to legislation passed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Critics say the bill, which requires organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as a “foreign agent,” is designed to shut down watchdogs who call the government to account.

European leaders criticized the bill and have since frozen Georgia’s accession process, just months after it was offered EU candidate status.

Georgian Dream officials still maintain it remains committed to joining the EU. Nicoloz Samkharadze, chair of the country’s foreign relations committee, told CNN the “foreign agent” law “does not contradict any European norm.” He claimed it had no effect on Georgia’s progress toward the EU.

Zourabichvili disagreed. “The Europeans have clearly said to the Georgian authorities … that you cannot pretend that you will join the EU (while) doing what you are doing,” she said.

During the election campaign, Ivanishvili – who made his fortune in the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union – threatened to imprison his political rivals and ban the main opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), if Georgian Dream won another term.

The UNM was founded by former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been jailed since 2021 for abuse of power while in office.

Asked if she feared similar political retribution, Zourabichvili said she is more worried about the fate of Georgia and what will happen “if things are in the hands of the Georgian Dream.”

“My personal future in that is not as important as the future of Georgia,” she said.