Georgia’s poll body confirms ruling party’s win in controversial vote

TBILISI: Georgia’s ruling party won last month’s controversial parliamentary vote, the poll commission said today releasing final results, amid allegations of fraud, Russian meddling, and western calls to investigate irregularities.

The Caucasus nation’s pro-western opposition has denounced the Oct 26 vote as “fraudulent” and refused to enter the newly elected parliament, which it deems “illegitimate”.

The European Union and the US have called for a probe into alleged electoral “irregularities”.

The Georgian Dream party won 53.93% of the votes against 37.79% garnered by a union of four opposition alliances, the national election commission said.

Critics accuse the party of moving Georgia away from its ambitions to join the EU and back into Russia’s orbit.

Hundreds of opposition supporters staged a rally outside the commission’s headquarters, the latest in a series of protests against the disputed results since the October vote.

The commission’s session was briefly disrupted when an opposition representative splashed black paint on the face of its chair, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, before the results were announced.

President Salome Zurabishvili – at loggerheads with the governing party – has also described the vote as illegitimate and accused Russia of interference.

Moscow has denied meddling.

The figurehead leader joined the opposition’s calls for a fresh vote, saying she would not issue a decree to convene the new parliament.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets in Tbilisi to protest alleged electoral fraud.

Universities in big cities across Georgia were gripped by student protests yesterday evening and the opposition has announced a fresh mass rally when the newly elected legislature holds its first session.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has insisted the elections were free and fair and said parliament would convene within 10 days after the final results’ release – even without a presidential summons from Zurabishvili.