Hundreds of pro-Western demonstrators have taken to the streets in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to protest the ratification of the recent parliamentary elections, which saw the country’s ruling party retain power. Activists have clashed with police, while an opposition politician splashed black paint on the head of the Central Electoral Commission during the ratification process.
A wave of protests has swept across the country since the parliamentary election on October 26. The ruling Georgian Dream party, which advocates pragmatic relations with Russia, won around 54% of the vote. However, the opposition parties, which garnered between 3% and 11%, refused to recognize the results, claiming election fraud.
Saturday’s demonstration was in response to Georgia’s Central Electoral Commission being slated to ratify the outcome of the vote. Videos from the scene show a large crowd in front of the building, which was being protected by a significant police force. Some protesters are seen whistling and loudly banging on a fence while holding Georgian and EU flags, as well as symbols associated with Ukraine.
Some protesters clashed with police not far from the building, as law enforcement officers – who did not appear to be in riot gear – tried to push the demonstrators out, according to one clip. Some protestors also stopped cars driving on a nearby road.
Local media reported, citing the Interior Ministry, that three protesters had been detained. There have been no reports of injuries.
Meanwhile, another drama unfolded inside the building as the final results were announced by the head of the Central Electoral Commission, Georgy Kalandarishvili. During the session, David Kirtadze, a commission member from the opposition, came up to Kalandarishvili and splashed a small bucket of black paint on his face. “You took away Georgia’s future, you’re pushing our country towards Russia… You are a ‘dot ru,’ you are a black spot,” he shouted, referring to Russia’s internet domain.
The session then erupted into chaos, as security escorted Kirtadze out of the room. The Interior Ministry later said a criminal investigation was underway.
Despite the unrest, Georgian Dream’s electoral victory was officially confirmed, with the final tally left approximately the same.
The Georgian opposition has repeatedly alleged that Moscow had somehow managed to influence the election results. President Salome Zourabichvili suggested at one point that Georgia had become a “victim of a Russian special operation.”
Moscow has rejected all accusations of election meddling, pointing out that it was the West that had attempted to influence the democratic process by openly imposing ultimatums on Tbilisi linked to its further EU integration.