Election monitors discuss potential tampering in Georgia's elections.
In the perspective of international election watchdogs, the parliamentary election in Georgia was tainted by alleged voter manipulation. The election was disrupted by "disparities (between candidates), pressure, and tension," as stated by the election observers from the OSCE, Council of Europe, European Parliament, and NATO in a collective declaration. They raised doubts about the authenticity of the announced result, which crowned the Moscow-aligned ruling party as the victor.
German political elites also lamented widespread electoral irregularities in Georgia. "Specifically in rural areas, voters were subjected to intense pressure, and we witnessed flagrant tampering," remarked SPD Bundestag member Frank Schwabe, serving as an election monitor in Georgia. Such conditions, Schwabe asserted, would have likely resulted in numerous votes for the incumbent party. The CDU/CSU Bundestag faction's European political spokesperson, Gunther Kriechbaum, commented: "The election campaign was characterized by state-sponsored propaganda and misinformation, in which opposition parties scarcely garnered visibility. We utterly condemn the suspected extensive electoral fraud."
Kriechbaum advocated for ongoing support for pro-European entities in Georgia. "To desert them would be tantamount to abandoning their aspirations for one day inhabiting a nation where freedom, self-determination, and the rule of law are regarded as the norm," asserted Kriechbaum. This, in turn, would serve to bolster Russian President Vladimir Putin's hand.
The Election Commission in Georgia announced the Moscow-aligned ruling party as the victor in the parliamentary election. The alliance of four pro-Western factions alleges deceit and rejects the outcome.
The European Union expressed concern over the election outcome in Georgia, as the Moscow-aligned ruling party was declared the victor. Despite the Election Commission's announcement, the alliance of four pro-Western factions within the European Union, including the European Parliament, has publicly accused the commission of deceit and rejected the outcome.
