Georgia PM rejects vote-rigging claims as president calls mass rally

The development in Georgia is very troubling,

Benjamin Dousa said in a written statement to AFP,

Sweden stands ready with open doors if Georgia moves towards a more democratic development,

said Swedish Ambassador to Georgia Anna Lyberg in a post shared on X, but noted

Salome Zourabichvilipresident

I want to tell you that those of you who are here today — you did not lose the elections,

Zourabichvili said

Salome Zourabichvilipresident

A complete picture must be drawn of how this massive, systematic theft of votes took place. This unprecedented, pre-planned operation that robbed us of our ballots, our parliament, and our constitution, ... the results they wrote down

Zourabichvili continued, stressing

Reinhold Lopatkamember of the Styrian state parliament

It was a wake-up call for us. Of course, we have to see it,

Reinhold Lopatka, an Austrian member of the European Parliament who was an observer in Georgia’s election, said of the votes in both countries

Nicu Popescuforeign Minister

European integration should be continuously used as an instrument to help countries which are problematic become safer, more democratic and stable and secure,

said Nicu Popescu, a former Moldovan foreign minister now with the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank

The European Union should be ready to continue in its support of the democratic forces in both countries, in order to facilitate their long-term European integration,

he said

But one path, with the help and support of European and U.S. partners ... would be that this would be supported by an international investigation,

said Zourabichvili, a Paris-born former French diplomat

The polling stations have already been identified through casting the lots, and the results of the revealed election precincts will undergo a recount process,

it added

To ensure transparency, all authorized representatives are invited to observe the ballot recount process,

the commission said in a statement

Salome Zourabichvilipresident

It's very difficult to accuse a government, and that's not my role, but the methodology is Russian,

Zurabishvili told AFP,

Georgia is a conservative, Christian and pro-Europe state. Instead of useless lecturing, they need our support on their European path,

Orban wrote on X

We will not stop until these fake (election) results are cancelled,

she said

Salome Zourabichvilipresident

By itself, I expect nothing from the central electoral commission, which is completely in the hands of the party that’s in power,

Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili, a fierce government critic, told Radio France Internationale

When the elections were not falsified by one per cent or two per cent but completely hijacked, the only demand that can be rational ... is the holding of repeat elections, which will not be conducted by the central election commission controlled by [Georgian Dream],

said Tina Bokuchava, head of the United National Movement

Free and democratic elections have been held, but there will still be controversy in Europe,

he said on Tuesday

The reverberations of Russia's victory will be felt not just by Georgians and Russia's other neighbours, but globally.

Giorgi Badridze, former Georgian ambassador to the UK, told the Mail

I am here for him - so that his future, a better future than I had, is not stolen

A grandmother who attended with her grandson said

We have been fighting this war our entire lives and shouldn't surrender now,

he said

If fraud is indeed responsible for shifting the results of the election, ... Washington and Brussels should make it clear that [they] will move to hold those responsible accountable, and the aid and assistance posture will have to change accordingly.”

Cecire said