State prosecutors in Georgia have announced an investigation into claims of election rigging surrounding last weekend’s parliamentary vote, summoning President Salome Zourabichvili to provide testimony.
However, Ms. Zourabichvili, who has consistently alleged that the vote tally was manipulated to favor her opponents from the ruling Georgian Dream party, stated that it is not her responsibility to present evidence.
“It is not the president’s role to furnish proof of electoral fraud,” she conveyed to the media. “Observers and ordinary citizens have presented evidence demonstrating the extensive nature of the election manipulation.”
Ms. Zourabichvili, along with other critics of the government, has characterized the election as a crucial moment for Georgia, a nation aspiring to join the European Union but perceived by the West as leaning back towards Russia under Georgian Dream’s governance.
Earlier this year, large crowds protested against a “foreign agent” law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, and thousands gathered in a rally to contest the results of the recent election.
“I would like to emphasize that my response to the prosecutor’s request for me to provide evidence supporting my claims regarding the election results is irrelevant, as it is the prosecutor’s duty to conduct its own investigation,” asserted Ms. Zourabichvili.
“That is the responsibility of the prosecutor’s office.”
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili speaks to the crowd at Monday’s rally.
Election monitors, including the 57-nation Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), reported that the voting process was marred by incidents of voter intimidation, bribery, and ballot-stuffing that could have influenced the outcome, though they refrained from labeling it as rigged.
Official results indicated that Georgian Dream secured 54% of the votes, achieving a clear majority in parliament. Opposition figures have announced their decision to boycott the assembly in protest.
Georgian Dream claims to aspire for EU membership but insists on avoiding further conflict with Moscow, after a brief war in 2008.
On Monday, Ms. Zourabichvili stated that Georgian Dream employed a “Russian methodology” to manipulate the election results, referencing two exit polls that suggested an opposition victory.
The Kremlin has rejected allegations of interference and accused the West of attempting to improperly influence the election’s outcome.
