Parliamentary elections 2024: Georgian Dream celebrates victory, opposition accuses it of rigged elections
According to data from the Central Election Commission (CEC), Georgian Dream received 53.9% of the votes, while the four main opposition parties collectively garnered 37.7%.
CEC data indicates that 1,12 million voters cast their ballots for Georgian Dream (53.9%), while 229K citizens voted for the Coalition for Change (Akhali-Girchi-Droa), Unity-National Movement received 211K votes, Strong Georgia (Effort-Citizens-For-People-Freedom Square) obtained 182K votes, and Giorgi Gakharia’s Party for Georgia earned 161K votes.
The opposition parties have declared the elections rigged and announced they will not recognize the results of what they refer to as the “hijacked elections.”
Following the announcement of the results, Tina Bokuchava, Chairperson of the United National Movement, stated that exit polls had indicated a significant victory for the pro-Western opposition. She alleged that “Oligarch Ivanishvili stole the victory from the Georgian people, thereby robbing them of a European future.”
Nika Gvaramia, a leader of the Coalition for Change, echoed these sentiments, asserting that they would not recognize the CEC’s results, accusing Georgian Dream of carrying out a constitutional coup.
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, now leader of the Party for Georgia, also stated that he would not recognize the results of the October 26 elections and would not lend legitimacy to the new Parliament.
Coalition of NGOs – My Vote: Election results published by CEC do not reflect will of citizens
NGO coalition “My Voice” has responded to the preliminary election results released by the CEC, stating that official results do not represent the will of the Georgian people.
“Based on our analysis of the pre-election environment, the manipulation schemes used on election day, and the unprecedented pressure on voters, including instances of violence, we believe that the preliminary results published by the CEC do not reflect the will of the citizens of Georgia. We will continue to demand the annulment of these election results,” said Londa Tholoraya at a briefing by a group of non-governmental organizations.
The coalition also outlined what it described as the most prevalent forgery schemes employed by authorities on October 26:
- Some voters arriving at polling stations carried a piece of paper with another individual’s personal identification number, which was placed in their passport or attached to their ID card. Additionally, some voters cast ballots using a photocopy of an ID card displayed on a mobile phone.
- Aligned registrars assisted fraudulent voters at the polling stations who: a) were required to quickly enter the personal number from the paper into the verification system, and b) either did not mark the voter or did so insufficiently.
- In this scheme, the falsifier must avoid marking the ballot to allow multiple votes at different precincts. The marking system, intended to prevent fraud in the verification process, was thus neglected.
- Specifically, voters were admitted without marking checks, marking liquid was not consistently applied, and manipulation was observed. In some instances, marking liquid was prevented from touching the voter’s hand by covering it with a finger or a napkin.
- In certain cases, the marking liquid and flashlights were inadequate. Marking traces were either nonexistent or easily removed, and some flashlights malfunctioned, requiring battery replacements.
- The falsifiers were aided by the placement of registrars’ tables in the voting area, obstructing the observation of the process. Additionally, commission members and the chairperson prohibited observers from approaching the registrars’ desks. In several instances, observers attempting to approach the tables were physically removed from the area.
GYLA demands annulment of results of those voting polls, where elections were held with a machine-voting system
The Association of Young Lawyers (GYLA) is calling for the annulment of the results from all districts where elections were conducted electronically, citing widespread violations of vote secrecy. According to the organisation’s chairperson, Nona Kurdovanidze, the principle of vote confidentiality was severely compromised.
“We have submitted numerous complaints to the district election commissions, requesting the annulment of results from all 2,263 precincts that used electronic voting. If these complaints are upheld, it will necessitate re-elections, as the invalidation of technological precinct results would significantly impact the overall election outcome. GYLA contends that the secrecy of voters’ ballots was grossly violated today, infringing upon the electoral rights protected by the Constitution of Georgia,” Kurdovanidze stated.
The Association also highlighted that, at nearly every polling station, Georgian Dream installed cameras primarily aimed at the ballot box, where votes were placed. The thickness of the ballots prevented markings from being left on the back, which compromised ballot secrecy on a large scale, she noted.
GYLA has filed an appeal with the prosecutor’s office, requesting an investigation into the breaches of vote confidentiality and a thorough examination of the case.