Amid Brawls and Protests, CEC Announces Final Results, Stamps GD Victory

On November 16, Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the final summary protocol of the October 26 parliamentary elections, effectively stamping nearly 54 percent-victory for the ruling Georgian Dream party.

But with the elections widely considered by the opposition and observers to have been rigged, the CEC meeting was marred by brawls and citizens protested outside the building.

Shortly after the start of the meeting, Davit Kirtadze, the representative of the opposition Unity-UNM in the CEC, confronted the CEC Chair, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, calling him a “black spot” and splashing black paint on his face. This act was apparently a reference to the alleged violation of the ballot secrecy in the elections, in particular the issue of thin ballot papers which made it visible from the outside which party a citizen was voting for.

“You are the shame of our country and you are the black spot,” Kirtadze told Kalandarishvili.

Kalandarishvili had to call a break. The meeting resumed after half an hour. CEC Chair Kalandarishvili returned wearing an eye patch.

Kalandarishvili called the incident “malicious” and a “provocation”. He said: “With such an act, with such pressure, with such bullying and with such a personal attack, it has indeed been confirmed once again that there really are no tangible circumstances in the elections that would indicate that the elections have been manipulated.”

Following the incident, MIA said it had opened a case against Davit Kirtadze, the opposition representative in the CEC, for throwing black paint at Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili under Article 118 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which deals with the intentional infliction of less serious harm to health.

Official Final Results

CEC Commission Secretary Giorgi Javakhishvili announced the official summary protocol of the elections, according to which, in Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections,

“The total number of eligible voters was 3,508,294. The number of voters who participated in the elections was 2,111,834. There were 34,974 ballot papers that were considered invalid.”

The votes and mandates of those who passed the mandatory five percent threshold to enter Parliament are as follows:

• Coalition for Change: Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa – 11.03% (229,161) – 19 seats in Parliament;
• Unity-UNM – 10.17% (211,216) – 16 seats in Parliament;
• Strong Georgia: Lelo, for People, for Freedom – 8.81% (182,922) – 14 seats in Parliament;
• Gakharia-For Georgia – 7.78% (161,521) – 12 seats in Parliament;
• Georgian Dream – 53.93% (1,120,053) – 89 seats in Parliament.

“The most special and important thing is that the political parties that have won mandates as a result of the voters’ participation in the elections ensure their respect and due recognition of their choice,” said CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili as he signed and stamped the official, albeit controversial, results.

Meanwhile, people gathered outside the CEC building were protesting against the official results. Law enforcement officials arrested at least three, including Giorgi Liponava, co-founder of the opposition-leaning media outlet Formula TV, and Vano Gomurashvili, a young member of the opposition Ahali party of the Coalition for Change. 

Late into the night, several dozen people, mostly youth, continued to protest near Kalandarishvili’s home in Tbilisi. Some allegedly government-paid thugs reportedly beat the peaceful demonstrators despite the presence of police on the scene.

None of Georgia’s Western partners, with the exception of some right-wing leaders, congratulated the GD on its official victory. Domestically, no opposition political force or its supporters have accepted the results. 

After the official results, the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II issue a statement, saying, “Everything in this world is the Lord’s will,” congratulating the GD on its victory “with a large majority of votes” and adding, “It is true that the opposition is protesting the election results and plans to continue protesting, but we hope that both the government and the opposition will be able to use the coming years as much as possible for the progress and prosperity of the country.”

What Now? 

According to the law, after the CEC announces the official final results, the first session of the new Parliament should be convened by the President within ten days.  But Salome Zurabishvili, who does not recognize the results, is highly unlikely to convene the Parliament session, which in this case will most likely be convened by the current Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili.

“The Georgian Parliament will meet on November 25,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists on November 25, although he said he does not expect Salome Zurabishvili to convene the first session. 

PM Kobakhidze also said, “In no country does Parliament need the legitimacy of the opposition,” when asked to comment on the opposition forces’ plans not to enter Parliament. 

Three of the four opposition forces that won seats vowed to renounce their MP mandates. The fourth, ex-PM Gakharia’s For Georgia party, confined themselves to saying that they “will not give legitimacy to the Parliament.” 

With only the ruling party recognizing the official results, the opposition, the President and observers considering them rigged, and the opposition unlikely to enter Parliament, the country is on the verge of a political crisis. The opposition continues to hold street rallies, but without any tangible results yet.

For more information see our blog Georgia’s Disputed October 26 Elections for live, real-time updates on the ongoing situation

Also Read:

• 05/11/2024 – Opposition’s Action Plan Seeks to Reclaim Victory Through Resistance and Street Protests
  

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