Whale Large Capital
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Business
  • Investing

Whale Large Capital

World News

Alleging ‘Russian special operation,’ Georgian president calls for protests over disputed election

by October 27, 2024
October 27, 2024
Alleging ‘Russian special operation,’ Georgian president calls for protests over disputed election

In a dramatic show of unity, Georgia’s often fractured opposition gathered at the presidential palace in Tbilisi, standing shoulder to shoulder behind the president, Salome Zourabichvili, as she defiantly announced, “I do not recognize these elections. Recognizing them would be tantamount to legitimizing Russia’s takeover of Georgia … We cannot surrender our European future for the sake of future generations.”

The government, controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, she said, is “illegitimate” and the election it carried out October 26 was a “complete falsification.”

Her voice rising, she said: “We were not just witnesses but also victims of what can only be described as a Russian special operation – a new form of hybrid warfare waged against our people and our country.”

She urged Georgians to gather in protest Monday evening on the capital’s main street, Rustaveli Avenue, “to peacefully defend every vote and, most importantly, our future.”

The statement was a bold challenge to the Georgian Dream’s founder and now honorary chairman, the reclusive billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who claimed victory in the parliamentary election even before all the votes were counted.

Ivanishvili had vowed to ban the opposition if his party won the election, and his opponents are taking him at his word.

On Saturday, as Georgians cast their ballots, thousands of Georgian and international election observers fanned out to voting precincts across the country, from urban centers to poor, remote villages in the Caucasus mountains, trying to evaluate whether the vote was free and fair.

Throughout election day, video of violations, some of them egregious, like a man boldly jamming ballots into a ballot box, spread quickly.

The day after, at a briefing by the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, the conclusions were troubling: “systematic” intimidation; harassment of voters inside and outside polling stations; “pervasive intimidation and pressure on public sector employees and social-service benefits recipients.”

Observations by the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) were even more stark: “On election day, ISFED documented serious violations, such as ballot stuffing of ballot papers, multiple voting, unprecedented levels of voter bribery, expulsion of observers from polling stations, as well as instances of mobilizing voters outside polling stations, collecting their personal data, and controlling their voting intentions.”

In Tbilisi, former US Representative John Shimkus said the intimidation and harassment of voters created an “atmosphere of fear.”

Swedish Member of Parliament Margareta Cederfelt added: “The government’s continued harassment and intimidation of voters and civil society not only during the election period, but well before it, has threatened Georgia’s democratic underpinnings.”

The Georgian opposition owes its new unity to the efforts of President Zourabichvili, a person some of them used to criticize, but now respect.

“She is on the right side of history,” said opposition politician Nika Gvaramia. “She is the only one who can unite people.”

Speaking at his Ahali party headquarters, part of the “Coalition 4 Change” just off Tbilisi’s main street, Gvaramia, along with Elene Khoshtaria, founder of the “Droa” party, told reporters: “Russia hacked the (Georgian) election.”

Moscow, they claimed, is carrying out a “hybrid war” with new and different means of technical meddling, and it’s right out of “Putin’s playbook.”

The West, they said, isn’t even playing catch up.

Meanwhile, the Georgian government announced that its first high-level visitor after the election will be Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who plans to spend October 28 and 29 in a high-profile show of support to the Georgian Dream government.

The illiberal leader has found common cause with Georgia’s ruling party and was the first international leader to congratulate them after the election – even before the votes were officially tallied.

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
JD Vance says Trump clashed with former officials for refusing to engage in ‘ridiculous war’
next post
Israeli MP behind bill to expel key UN agency accuses US of interfering with process

You may also like

The West wants Putin isolated. A major summit...

October 22, 2024

Germany’s centrist parties agree coalition deal

April 9, 2025

Chaos erupts on first day of US-backed aid...

May 27, 2025

South Korean court approves arrest warrant for President...

December 31, 2024

Diego Maradona’s homicide trial is declared invalid by...

May 29, 2025

Small town in Thailand holds mass cremation for...

October 9, 2024

Ellen Miles is planting seeds of hope through...

May 9, 2025

Syrian government loyalists accused of executing civilians as...

March 9, 2025

Missing Israeli citizen found dead in UAE in...

November 24, 2024

Zelensky and European rights body establish tribunal to...

June 26, 2025

    Subscribe today to receive exclusive access to all our retirement secrets and income strategies, including special financial news and updates from our experts. From time to time, our newsletters feature valuable insights and analysis on the latest financial trends. Don't miss out on these exclusive updates – join our subscription to stay informed!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.



    Latest

    • SCOOP: GOP ramps up shutdown fight, targets 25 vulnerable Democrats in new ad blitz

      September 15, 2025
    • ‘This is the turning point:’ TPUSA says campus chapter requests surge over 37,000 after Kirk’s assassination

      September 15, 2025
    • ‘Gradually and then suddenly’: Reagan speechwriter talks political violence in aftermath of Kirk’s death

      September 15, 2025
    • Prosecution presses forward as Ryan Routh trial resumes on Day 6

      September 15, 2025
    • Trump will Make America Healthy Again with an unlikely coalition

      September 15, 2025
    • Convenience stores are eating fast-food chains’ breakfast

      September 15, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (799)
    • Investing (661)
    • Politics (5,573)
    • World News (3,213)
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact us
    • About us

    Disclaimer: WhaleLargeCapital.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 WhaleLargeCapital.com | All Rights Reserved