Pro-West opposition accuse oligarch of 'stealing victory' in Georgia

Georgia's pro-Western opposition disputed the results of the parliamentary election after officials declared Sunday the ruling party led the crucial vote that could decide whether the country remains on the path to joining the European Union or comes under Russian sway.

The Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream, led by pro-Putin oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, won 54.8% of Saturday's vote with almost 100% of ballots counted. Following a divisive pre-election campaign, initial figures suggested turnout is the highest since the ruling party was first elected in 2012.

Georgian electoral observers, who stationed thousands across the country to monitor the vote, reported multiple violations and said the results 'do not correspond to the will of the Georgian people.'

Georgian Dream has become increasingly authoritarian, adopting laws similar to those used by Russia to crack down on freedom of speech. Brussels suspended Georgia's EU membership process indefinitely because of a 'Russian law,' passed in June.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of Georgian Dream who made his fortune in Russia, claimed victory almost immediately after polls closed and said, 'It is rare in the world for the same party to achieve such success in such a difficult situation.' He had vowed ahead of the election to ban opposition parties should his party win.

Tina Bokuchava, the chair of the United National Movement opposition party accused the election commission of carrying out Ivanishvili's 'dirty order' and said he 'stole the victory from the Georgian people and thereby stole the European future.'

She indicated the opposition would not recognize the results and 'will fight like never before to reclaim our European future.'

The UNM party said its headquarters were attacked on Saturday while Georgian media reported two people were hospitalized after being attacked outside polling stations.

The pre-election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, was dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.

Some Georgians complained of intimidation and being pressured to vote for the governing party.

The Mail reported clear evidence of a shameless attempt to rig proceedings. Footage showed coaches full of villagers being handed money to vote and brawls breaking out with election monitors left bloodied.

Video circulated of an opposition election observer being savagely beaten at a polling station in Marneuli. The victim is currently in hospital.

In another clip a Georgian Dream representative Rovshan Iskandarov was seen apparently forcing dozens of voting slips into a ballot box.

Georgians reported finding their slips had been tampered with. One showed that a mark had been placed beside one party, meaning the vote would be invalidated if they ticked a separate box.

Others posted videos of multiple slips put inside one postal vote envelope while foreign journalists who have been critical of the regime have been barred entry to Georgia.

Georgian Dream scored its highest share of the vote - polling almost 90% - in the Javakheti region of southern Georgia, 83 miles west of the capital Tbilisi where it failed to get more than 44% of the vote in any district.

Around 80% of Georgians favor joining the EU, according to polls, and the country's constitution obliges its leaders to pursue membership in that bloc and NATO.

Many fear that Georgian Dream is dragging the country toward authoritarianism and killing off hopes of becoming and EU member.

The ruling Georgian Dream party, switched to openly support Moscow following Putin 's 2022 invasion of Ukraine despite the country being the most pro-Western in the region.