Elections Under Siege: Georgia In Crisis
With 99% of precincts reporting, Georgia’s Central Election Commission announced that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party is poised for a fourth term, leading with 53.9% of the vote.
In response, President Zurabichvili condemned the elections as “unprecedented” and a “theft of votes”. She declared, “We were not just witnesses but also victims of what can only be described as a Russian special operation—a new form of hybrid warfare waged against our people and our country.” On the evening of the 28th, opposition leaders gathering in front of the parliament building called for snap elections to be conducted by an international election administration. They declared the recent elections illegitimate, pledged not to take their seats in parliament, and announced plans to withdraw their candidate lists. They proclaimed to the crowd on Rustaveli Avenue "We will win together."
Pre-election irregularities such as voter intimidation and confiscation of identification documents significantly eroded trust in Georgia’s electoral process and undermined the possibility of free and fair elections. Local observation organizations reported severe violations on election day, characterized by inequality, violence, and tension. A leading Georgian watchdog, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), identified "grave violations" including ballot stuffing, repeat voting, and extensive vote buying. The day was marred by intimidation against monitors and journalists, with reports of physical assaults and harassment underscoring the ruling party's attempts to obstruct transparency and accountability.
International observers likewise flagged serious issues including disruptions to verification systems and instances of voters receiving multiple pre-selected ballots favoring the ruling party. For the time being, there are no strongly worded international reports deeming the elections rigged or illegitimate. This hesitancy from the international community, as they await final observations from IRI, NDI, and OSCE, has left Georgians in limbo and limited the opposition’s ability to secure robust external support.
President Zurabichvili urged international partners to stand with the Georgian people against “this illegitimate government”. In a rush to legitimate its claimed victory, GD has invited Orbán, the only EU leader so far to congratulate GD, for an official visit on October 28–29. Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, confirmed that Orbán is traveling to Georgia to demonstrate support for the government, but he emphasized that Orbán does not represent the EU during this visit.
The specter of the "Belarusization" of Georgia—the government's drift toward authoritarianism, mirroring Belarus under Lukashenko—looms large. This includes election manipulation, pressure on opposition and media, and a pro-Russian stance that contradicts Georgia's pro-European aspirations—all of which signals a shift away from democratic values.
In the days to come, international support will be crucial for Georgia and its pro-European electorate. If the United States and the EU choose to recognize the election results, the opposition may have little choice but to accept their seats in a parliament dominated by the ruling party, leaving them with no leverage. Conversely, if the West dismisses the legitimacy of these elections, the opposition must present compelling evidence of large-scale manipulation to galvanize support; otherwise, they risk fizzling out—which would be reminiscent of what happened after the 2020 parliamentary elections.