The Georgian elections have led to controversy. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, the opposition claimed the 2024 parliamentary elections were manipulated by the ruling Georgian Dream Party through using voter intimidation and fraud. But Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze hailed a “landslide” election result — 89 seats out of 150 seats — and rejected electoral frauds while President Salomé Zourabichvili, who has sided with the opposition, claimed the result was falsified. Electoral fraud controversies also led to protests from the beginning and clashes between police and protesters in the capital Tbilisi, resulting in several arrests. But it remains unclear whether the election-based trouble will be resolved.
It is notable that though the Dream Party and the Central Election Commission claim the elections are fair, it is difficult to precisely say so. In addition to the opposition, other parties or groups such as My Vote, a coalition of 2000 election observers, have described the Georgian parliamentary elections as marked by instances of bribery, double voting, threats of personal or professional retaliation, pre-filled ballots and physical violence against election observers. But it remains unclear whether electoral fraud claims, if they are right, have notably impacted the electoral outcomes of the latest parliamentary elections. Though the opposition claims that elections were stolen and elections observers claim that the scale of vote violations may have affected the electoral result, there are difficulties and still the lack of necessary evidence to say so precisely without an investigation of the electoral fraud allegations.
Penitently saying, electoral manipulation claim may lead to further protests of pro-Western opposition parties and some other outcomes including the repression of political opposition, civil society and critical voices in the South Caucasus state where there have been years of increasingly authoritarian or less democratic rule under the Georgian Dream party, the pro-Russian party established by Bidzina Ivanishvili. Helene Khoshtaria, one of the opposition leaders, has indicated the continued protests against electoral fraud since they are fighting for the votes of the people, along with struggling for Georgia’s European membership future — which is wanted by the majority but a complicated issue because of the geopolitical involvement of Russia and the European Union.
But the allegations of the opposition that are reasonable in the latest parliamentary elections, which were widely considered the most crucial vote since Georgians backed independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, need to be addressed. The investigations of allegations are vital, will help address the concerns of the allegations of electoral fraud and ensure the fairness of the elections, given that the elections were not manipulated. But the investigations need to be fair and credible. Among others, elections related violence, along with the avoidable arrests of the protesters and the use of force on protesters, need to be addressed in Georgia.
Pertinently saying, democratic institutions have been deteriorating in Georgia, once a beacon of democracy, for several years with the enactment of controversial laws and the government’s actions including the 2023 NGO law, leading to concerns. Given that there are geopolitical complexities in Georgia, it may be difficult to desirably address various political concerns. But providing the deserving space for free, fair and credible elections, political parties, civil society and media can help improve various conditions.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
