OPPOSITION supporters in Georgia are planning protests against the conduct and results of the weekend’s parliamentary election in which the ruling party was declared victorious.
The country’s Central Election Commission said on Sunday that the governing Georgian Dream party received 54.8 per cent of Saturday's votes.
But there have been accusations of voting irregularities and claims of Russian meddling in the election.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said the country had fallen victim to a “Russian special operation” aimed at pulling it under Moscow’s control and derailing its plan to join the European Union.
Ms Zourabichvili, a fierce critic of the governing party, urged Georgians to rally in the capital Tbilisi, last night to protest against what she called a “total falsification, a total stealing of your votes.”
Georgian Dream has vowed to continue the push toward EU accession but also to reset ties with Russia.
European electoral observers said the election took place in a “divisive” environment marked by intimidation and instances of vote buying, double voting and physical violence.