Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili held a press conference at the presidential palace in Tbilisi, where she announced her refusal to comply with a prosecutors' summons for questioning regarding her claims of election fraud during the recent vote. Zurabishvili stated on Wednesday that she had declined the summons, asserting that ample evidence of electoral misconduct was already in the public domain and urging prosecutors to concentrate on their investigation rather than engaging in political score-settling.
A partial recount of ballots from Georgia's contentious parliamentary election confirmed the ruling party's victory, according to electoral officials. This announcement came after opposition parties accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of electoral violations, prompting demands for an investigation from both Washington and Brussels. The election, held on Saturday, plunged Georgia into political uncertainty, with the pro-Western opposition decrying the vote as 'stolen' and refusing to recognize the results.
Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, who is at odds with the governing party, has denounced the election results as 'illegitimate', alleging interference by a 'Russian special operation'. The central election commission informed AFP that the recount, which covered approximately 12% of polling stations and 14% of the vote, did not significantly alter the previously announced results. A spokeswoman clarified that final tallies only saw minor adjustments at about 9% of the recounted polling stations.
Mass protests erupted on Monday, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to denounce the alleged fraud. International observers, the European Union, and the United States have all condemned the electoral irregularities and called for a thorough investigation. Georgia's interior ministry reported the arrest of two individuals following allegations of ballot stuffing at a provincial polling station, while prosecutors disclosed the initiation of 47 criminal cases related to alleged electoral violations.
Opposition parties have declared their refusal to participate in the new 'illegitimate' parliament and are demanding fresh elections. Brussels had previously cautioned that the elections would serve as a critical test for Tbilisi's nascent democracy and its prospects for EU membership. In a report published Wednesday, the European Commission warned that it could not recommend opening membership talks unless Georgia reversed its current course of action, which it deemed to be jeopardizing its EU path.
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