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Election Protest in Georgia

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The results of the parliamentary elections in Georgia, held on October 26 and won by the ruling Georgian Dream Party, were not accepted by Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and some opposition parties, leading to a protest demonstration. Gathered in front of the Parliament Building in the capital Tbilisi, the protesters declared that they did not recognize the parliamentary elections held two days earlier in Georgia. President Zurabishvili, who refused to accept the election results where the Georgian Dream Party won with 53.93% of the vote, and leaders of opposition parties that passed the 5% election threshold also addressed the crowd. In her speech, Zurabishvili reiterated that they do not accept the election results, claiming that the election on October 26 had “stolen the voice of the people.” Alleging fraud in the elections, Zurabishvili noted the need to investigate how this was done for now. Inviting anyone with possible evidence of election fraud to share this information, Zurabishvili said, “Together, we will defend the preservation of your voice in a very peaceful manner, which is our constitutional right.” Accusing many Western countries, especially the United States, of criticizing these elections or not accepting the results, Zurabishvili stated that there was an “intervention with a major operation” in the elections and they would investigate it. Zurabishvili, who stated that he would continue to support opposition parties that passed the 5% threshold, emphasized the importance of European Union (EU) integration for Georgia and stated that they would continue to work in this direction. **CALL FOR REPEAT ELECTIONS** Giorgi Vashadze, one of the leaders of the “Unity to Save Georgia” election bloc, expressed that they considered the elections illegitimate. Vashadze announced that they would not enter the new parliament by not accepting the data announced based on the ballot box results, stating that they had a special request for the elections to be held again, but this request needed to be carried out by an international election administration. Other politicians who delivered speeches also stated that they would fight to the fullest extent to “protect” the people’s votes. **PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA** In the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on October 26, the ruling Georgian Dream Party, which received 53.93% of the vote, won. The “For Change Coalition” received 11.03% of the vote, “Unity to Save Georgia” received 10.16%, “Strong Georgia” received 8.81%, and “Gakharia for Georgia” received 7.77%. Following the publication of the “election summary protocol” prepared by the Central Election Commission in November, the new parliament is expected to convene within 10 days according to the constitution. According to the results from the ballot boxes, it is expected that the Georgian Dream Party will have 89 seats in the 150-seat parliament, with the opposition holding 61 seats. A political party or election bloc that wins 76 seats in the parliament will be able to form a government on its own.

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