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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
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Georgia election chief doused in paint as protests continue after
divisive parliamentary vote
By Associated Press
Updated:
10:14 AM EST, Sat November 16, 2024
Source: AP
The head of Georgia’s Central Electoral Commission was doused with
black paint Saturday at a meeting to confirm the results of the
country’s divisive .
Protesters gathered outside the commission’s building in Tbilisi,
where officials announced that the ruling Georgian Dream party had won
53.93% of the vote.
Opposition supporters have rejected the results amid allegations that ,
an accusation that Georgian Dream denies.
The Saturday session was interrupted when David Kirtadze, a commission
member from the opposition United National Movement party, threw black
paint at commission chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili.
Before the incident, Kirtadze told Kalandarishvili that the official
results of the vote did not reflect voters’ “true choice.”
Kalandarishvili responded by saying that the use of “pressure,
bullying and personal insults” proved that there was no evidence of
vote rigging.
When the meeting resumed, Kalandarishvili was seen with a bandaged eye.
“It once again becomes evident that there is no tangible proof
indicating that the elections were manipulated,” he told the
audience.
European election observers have described the Georgian parliamentary
elections as taking place in a “divisive” atmosphere marked by
instances of bribery, double voting and physical violence.
Many Georgians viewed the vote as a pivotal referendum on the
country’s effort to join the European Union. The bloc process
indefinitely in June after the country’s parliament passed a that
critics say mimics Moscow’s crackdown on civil society.
Critics have accused the ruling Georgian Dream, established by Bidzina
Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, of
becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. It has
recently adopted laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack
down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
President Salome Zourabichvili, who has rejected the official results,
says Georgia has fallen victim to pressure from Moscow against joining
the European Union. Zourabichvili, who holds a mostly ceremonial
position, has urged the United States and EU to support the
demonstrations.
Officials in Washington and Brussels have urged a full investigation of
the election, while the Kremlin has rejected the accusations of
interference.
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