She won Russia or, as you wish, peace. According to the Central Election Commission (CKW), the ruling party, Georgian Dreams, she obtained a evidence 53.9% of the votes, while a full of 37.8% of Georgians voted on 4 opposition lists. Independent pre-election polls and exit polls did not exclude the triumph of the organization of power, but did not give it specified an advantage.
Georgian Dreams, a organization associated with Russia oligarchy Bidzin Ivanishvili, came to power in 2012. She promised to proceed the European course, but besides to normalize post-war relations with her older brother, on whom the Georgian economy powerfully depends. In fresh years, the formation has definitely approached the Kremlin. It has not explicitly condemned Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine and has become a hub to circumvent European sanctions.
The informal leader of the democratic opposition and the president of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili stated on Sunday evening that the parliamentary elections had "been under Russian influence" and were falsified. She called for protests that thousands of people gathered before the Tbilisi Parliament on Monday evening. Opposition organization representatives announced that they did not recognise the results presented by the CKW, and Western politicians expressed ritual concern.
West minus western values
Election reflection organisations have indeed seen irregularities – and this, as the global Society for Justice Elections and Democracy (ISFED) claimsOn an unprecedented scale. Buying votes and forcing them on budget workers (the alleged usage of administrative resources) is average in Georgia, and even more insolent violations have been committed. respective ballot cards were issued to 1 person, any voters were requisitioned with individual evidence, even physical attacks on observers and journalists reporting elections.
However, regardless of the scale of the election irregularities, it is worth remembering that Georgian Dream has its organic electorate, which could possibly supply the organization with a fair victory. Based on independent polls, it can be estimated to be around 30–35 percent of the population – mainly residents of smaller centres, older people and little educated people. any of them mention the USSR with nostalgia, but this does not entail clear pro-Russian views or opposition to Georgia's European road. In public opinion polls, 85-90% of citizens are in favour of EU membership.
How is that possible? Yes, support for the European road of Georgia does not necessarily mean support for Western values, alternatively longing for Western levels or lifestyles. Georgian Dream does not want to abandon this road – 1 of the electoral slogans of the parties was: “Yes to Europe, but with dignity” – orbánowsk, not on his knees. The average Georgian associate a rapprochement with Europe with the organization of power – visa-free entry into the EU was introduced for its regulation and Georgia was granted EU membership status.
Relatively large support for power does not harm even painful expensiveness, advanced unemployment or mass emigration. Georgian Dream managed to make peace in troubled times in the eyes of many citizens. In his narrative, the West – or "a global war party" – tries to open a "second front" in Georgia with the opposition, i.e. to bring Georgia to war with Russia. In 1 of the polling spots Georgian cities were compared with bombed buildings of Ukraine.
During the electoral campaign, Georgian Dreams besides promised to reconstruct the territorial sovereignty of the country (i.e. the return controlled by Russia of Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and to fight the second after the "global war party" general enemy of Georgia, or LGBT+ lobby. In spreading these demands, the parties of the Church, dependent on the power of the media, helped and exceptionally active in these elections Russian disinformation.
Too tired and discouraged to protest
The shattered Georgian opposition proved powerless in the face of this advantage. During the campaign, she failed to make a convincing counter-narration or a clear leader. At the Monday protest in front of Parliament, her representatives demanded that the elections be repeated under the supervision of the global electoral administration, but the estimated turnout of respective 1000 people does not indicate that Georgians should inactive have the power to protest. In May pro-democracy protests gathered 300 000 people on the streets of Tbilisi, or almost 10% of the country's population.
Georgian civilian society seems tired and devastated – and it is not surprising. The power remains deaf to pro-democratic protests held under Parliament on Rustatel's Avenue regularly for respective years, and its flight into a cloud of cremloid authoritarianism has late accelerated rapidly. In fresh months Georgian Dream has passed 2 modeled Russian laws – the alleged abroad Agents Act and the household Value Protection Act (called anti-LGBT+ Act). Both – especially the erstwhile – are a blow to Georgian NGOs and independent media. There were besides Russian-style repressions – pro-democratic activists began to be intimidated and beaten by “unknown perpetrators”.
The Georgian opposition does not appear to have a plan of action in the current situation. It is improbable that he can number on support from the West, which has the losing war Ukraine and Russia's hybrid Moldova. Democratic Georgia one more time in its past – as it was in 1921, erstwhile the russian Union absorbed the Democratic Republic of Georgia – could become the past.
