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Georgia’s pro-Western president calls for mass street protests Georgia’s pro-Western president calls for mass street protests
(30 minutes later)
Salome Zourabichvili has said she does not recognize Saturday’s parliamentary election results and blames RussiaSalome Zourabichvili has said she does not recognize Saturday’s parliamentary election results and blames Russia
Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has announced that she does not recognize the results of Saturday’s national parliamentary election and has called on people to join protests against the outcome. According to official results, the ruling Georgian Dream party received almost 54% of the vote, while various opposition forces managed to garner between 11% and 3%. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has rejected the results of Saturday’s parliamentary election and is calling for mass protests, alleging that the voting process was manipulated in favor of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Zourabichvili blasted the vote as “total fraud” and branded it “Russian elections.” Georgia had become, she claimed, ”victim of a Russian special operation, a new form of hybrid warfare, which was carried out against our people, … our country.” According to official results, Georgian Dream secured 54% of the vote, while opposition parties received between 11% and 3%.
The president’s claims contrast with findings from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which did not observe significant irregularities. Despite Zourabichvili's accusations, the OSCE assessed that the voting process was largely in line with international standards. French–born Zourabichvili – a career diplomat for Paris, who only acquired Georgian citizenship in her 50s – condemned the election as a “Russian-style” operation, claiming that Georgian Dream is steering the nation towards Moscow, and away from that of the EU.
Earlier, the president claimed that the vote had been won by what she called “European Georgia,” despite alleged “attempts to rig elections.” On Sunday, she held a series of 'emergency briefings' with various opposition parties. Despite Zourabichvili calling the election a “total fraud,” the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported that it observed no systemic voting irregularities. It did, however, claim to have observed incidents of vote-buying and pressure on public sector employees, but praised the diversity of choices on the ballot.
Several pro-Western opposition forces, including the Unity-National Movement (UNM) and ‘Coalition for Change’ announced on the same day that they would not be joining the new parliament, citing their rejection of the election results. The parties’ leaders accused Georgian Dream of “stealing the European future” of the country and even staging a “constitutional coup.” In contrast to the OSCE’s assessment, Zourabichvili accused Georgian Dream of attempting to “steal” the country’s “European future” by aligning it with Russia, sparking a call for international intervention.
UNM head Tina Bokuchava vowed to “fight like never before” to reverse the election results and called her meeting with Zourabichvili “very important.” 
The president also declared herself to be “the only independent institution left in this state.” She then called on her fellow Georgians to join protests on Monday evening “to show… the world that we do not recognize this election.”
Born in Paris, Zourabichvili worked for the French Foreign Ministry for many years, including as ambassador to Georgia, before acquiring citizenship in 2004 and being quickly promoted to the position of the nation’s top diplomat, a post she held for about a year. Pro-Western opposition forces, including the United National Movement (UNM) and the Coalition for Change, have backed Zourabichvili’s accusations, refusing to take seats in the new parliament. UNM leader Tina Bokuchava condemned Georgian Dream for allegedly enabling corruption and external influence, vowing to “fight like never before” to overturn the results.
“I did not come to this country for this,” Zourabichvili stated, referring to the election results, which she equated with “Georgia’s submission to Russia.”  Zourabichvili held a series of meetings with opposition leaders on Sunday, affirming her stance at an emergency press briefing. “I am not one person; I am an institution that represents the population,” she declared, calling for citizens to join the protests.
“I am not one person, I am an institution that represents the population, and I want to … tell them that we must stand together and declare that we do not recognize these elections,” the president said. The president, a former French diplomat, also appealed to Western nations to “protect Georgia” and maintain stability in the region, emphasizing that she is the “only independent institution left” in Georgia’s government. Previously, Zourabichvili has also supported other protests in Georgia, including against ‘foreign agent’ legislation and “LGBT propaganda’ laws she also branded as “Russian-style.”
Previously, Zourabichvili has also supported other protests in Georgia, including against ‘foreign agents’ and “LGBT propaganda’ laws she branded as “Russian-style.” Georgian Dream representatives dismissed Zourabichvili’s allegations, accusing her of abandoning her presidential role to join the “radical opposition.” Party chairman Mamuka Mdinaradze asserted that the president’s statements align more with foreign interests than national priorities, insisting that Georgian Dream will move forward with forming a government.
During the 'emergency briefing', she appealed to foreign nations to “protect Georgia” and the “geopolitical balance in this region” by not establishing any ties with the new government. According to Georgian law, a simple 76-seat majority is needed to confirm the next prime minister and cabinet, and Georgian Dream could gain up to 90 of the chamber’s 150 seats.
Under Georgian law, a simple 76-strong majority is needed to pick the next prime minister and cabinet. According to Georgian Dream chairman Mamuka Mdinaradze, his party could get as many as 90 of the national chamber’s 150 seats after the vote.
Commenting on Zourabichvili’s statements, Mdinaradze also said that “Georgia no longer has a president. Georgia has an agent, a leader of the radical opposition.”