Georgian opposition marches to Parliament as election results face mounting scrutiny

On October 30, the opposition started a march to the Georgian Parliament building in Tbilisi.

Protestors gathered outside Tbilisi State University and started their march towards the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Participants are carrying Georgian and European Union (EU) flags, as well as placards supporting European integration. It has been noted, however, that the number of participants has decreased compared to the previous demonstration held outside the Parliament on October 28.

Note that, Georgia’s parliamentary elections took place on 26 October 2024. The ruling Georgian Dream party in Georgia secured a parliamentary majority after nearly all votes had been counted.

According to Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC), results from 97% of polling stations indicated that Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia received 54.24% of the vote, amounting to 1,087,801 ballots cast in its favour. Opposition parties, by comparison, garnered 37.33% of the vote.

Preliminary figures placed voter turnout at 58.94%. CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili noted that the election had been conducted successfully, with advanced technology used throughout the process.

However, the opposition coalition, led by the former ruling party, the United National Movement, and joined by the "Coalition for Change," made up of former National Movement members, refused to accept the CEC's announced results.

The opposition raised concerns about the voting procedures and the process of tabulating results, disputing the election outcome.

Moreover, on October 28, Georgia’s President, Salome Zourabichvili, has urged citizens to protest against the results of a contested election in a bid to safeguard the country’s “European future.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev