CEC Confirms Georgian Dream's Victory in Controversial Election, Protests Erupt
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, November 18, 2024
On November 16, Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) officially confirmed the final results of the October 26 parliamentary elections, marking a nearly 54% victory for the ruling Georgian Dream party. However, the announcement was marred by violent clashes and protests, with many opposition groups accusing the government of electoral fraud.
During the CEC meeting, tensions escalated when Davit Kirtadze, an opposition representative from Unity-UNM, confronted CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili. Kirtadze splashed black paint on Kalandarishvili's face, calling him a "black spot" in reference to allegations of ballot secrecy violations in the election. Specifically, concerns were raised about the thin ballot papers that made it visible which party a voter was supporting.
"You are the shame of our country and you are the black spot," Kirtadze exclaimed at Kalandarishvili. The incident led to a brief suspension of the meeting, with Kalandarishvili returning after a half-hour break wearing an eye patch. He described the incident as "malicious" and claimed that it proved there was no evidence of election manipulation.
In response, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) opened an investigation against Kirtadze under Article 118 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which addresses the intentional infliction of minor harm to health.
Following the altercation, Giorgi Javakhishvili, the CEC Commission Secretary, announced the official election results. The total number of eligible voters was 3,508,294, with 2,111,834 casting their votes. The final tally showed Georgian Dream securing 53.93% of the vote, or 1,120,053 votes, winning 89 seats in Parliament. The Coalition for Change came in second with 11.03%, earning 19 seats, followed by Unity-UNM with 10.17%, securing 16 seats.
Other parties, including Strong Georgia, Gakharia-For Georgia, and Lelo for People, also passed the five percent threshold, each claiming seats in Parliament.
Despite the official results, protests erupted outside the CEC building as citizens voiced their discontent with what they deemed a rigged election. Law enforcement arrested at least three individuals, including Giorgi Liponava, co-founder of Formula TV, and Vano Gomurashvili, a member of the opposition Akhali Party.
