Special forces deployed as protests erupt over Georgia's elections

In Tbilisi, the Georgian Interior Ministry has stationed special forces at the parliament building in anticipation of a rally protesting the results of the recent parliamentary elections.

Law enforcement officers have taken positions around the legislative body, with additional special forces seen in the courtyard of the nearby Government House. Minibuses with tinted windows have also arrived at the site, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

While the atmosphere outside the parliament remains calm, rally organizers are setting up a stage for opposition leaders to address the crowd. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has condemned the elections as "totally rigged" and has called on citizens to march to the parliament building to voice their dissent.

Zourabichvili has also urged the United States and the European Union to support opposition protests of the official results of a weekend parliamentary election in which the governing party was declared victorious amid voting irregularities and allegations of Russian meddling.

She emphasized the need for strong backing from Western partners, advocating for the opposition's role in the region. The president called on the EU not to renew contacts with the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party, stressing that European and American support is crucial for the protests to be effective.

On October 27, Zourabichvili stood alongside opposition leaders and urged Georgians to join a rally on the main street of the capital, Tbilisi, on October 28 night to protest what she called a “total falsification, a total stealing of your votes.”

The Central Election Commission said the Georgian Dream party received 54.8 per cent of votes with almost all ballots counted.

Protest is the only way Georgians can “express that their votes have been stolen, that their future has been stolen,” Zourabichvili said.

She said she hopes the US and EU back the demonstrations.

“We need to have the firm support of our European partners, of our American partners,” Zourabichvili said, adding that it was in the interests of “a powerful Europe” to be present in the Caucasus and for the region to be stable.

By Vafa Guliyeva