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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Pro-Putin party wins contested election as Georgia drifts further from US, Europe |
| 2024-10-29 |
| [FoxNews] 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. 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. 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. 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. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #4 There is an accusation that, based on the winning numbers, enough ballots were cast to equal the entire population of the country. Well beyond the number of eligible voters. |
| Posted by: Jefe101 2024-10-29 23:17 |
| #3 So they used the demoncrat method |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2024-10-29 16:25 |
| #2 Yeah, don't watch those videos showing ballot box stuffing or potential voters being accosted and beaten up by Dream Party folks as it's all 'fake news' |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2024-10-29 11:43 |
| #1 Georgia: Kremlin Rejects 'Election Interference' Charges As Tens Of Thousands Take To Streets |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-10-29 03:23 |