Georgian President Addresses Rally, Refuses to Accept Election Results
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
President Salome Zourabichvili addressed a massive rally at Rustaveli Avenue on October 28, following her call to action in response to Georgia's controversial parliamentary elections. Speaking to a crowd gathered in front of the Georgian Parliament, she rejected the official election results, stating that "nothing can make them legitimate" and vowing to support Georgians "until we reach Europe's doors."
"You have not lost the elections! Your vote was stolen," Zourabichvili told the rally, urging citizens to protect their constitutional right to free and fair elections. She emphasized that the Georgian people's future lies within the European Union and that their votes for this future had been unjustly taken.
In her speech, she detailed a day of diplomatic outreach, reporting that she had spoken to multiple European leaders, six presidents, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, all of whom supported the call for an investigation into alleged electoral fraud. Without naming him directly, she criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is visiting Tbilisi, stating that "no one" recognizes these election results except "the one who just passed by."
Zourabichvili urged for a thorough investigation, noting involvement from local observer missions, civil society organizations, and international partners. She described the election process as a pre-planned operation that "stole our votes, our Parliament, and our Constitution."
"We have nothing else but our votes," she told the crowd, adding that political parties will soon present a plan of action. Zourabichvili concluded by rallying the people to stand united for Georgia's European future, saying, "Give your vote to Europe, to the future, to Georgia!"
