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Orban Visits Georgia to Boost Party 10/29 06:05
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Georgia's ruling party, which has faced massive
opposition protests demanding the annulment of its declared victory in the
weekend parliamentary election amid allegations of vote rigging helped by
Russia, is getting a boost with the visit from Hungary's prime minister.
Victor Orbn, the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream,
arrived on Monday in Georgia on a trip that highlighted his rifts within the
European Union. The EU said he doesn't have any mandate from the bloc for the
visit.
Tens of thousands of Georgians rallied outside parliament on Monday night,
demanding a new election under international supervision and a probe into the
alleged vote rigging. The protest underlined tensions in the country which lies
between Russia and Turkey and where the governing Georgian Dream party has
become increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow.
President Salome Zourabichvili, who has rejected the official results, told
The Associated Press that Georgia has fallen victim to Russian pressure against
joining the EU. She said she hopes the United States and EU back the
demonstrations.
"We've seen that Russian propaganda was directly used," said Zourabichvili,
a mostly ceremonial president and a fierce critic of Georgian Dream. She said
the government has been "working hand-in-hand with Russia," and "probably"
received help from Moscow's security services.
The Kremlin has rejected the accusations of interference. The U.S. and the
EU have urged a full investigation into the result of Saturday's vote.
The Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream received 54.8% of the
vote, with almost all ballots counted. The party -- established by Bidzina
Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia -- has
adopted laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of
speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
U.S. officials called on Georgia to repeal authoritarian legislation,
address electoral deficiencies and move Georgia towards Europe.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a member of Georgian Dream, described his
party's success as "impressive and obvious," and that "any attempts to talk
about election manipulation ... are doomed to failure."
During Tuesday's meeting with Orbn, Kobakhidze thanked him for his support
of Georgia's integration into the EU and noted that the two countries show
values and approaches.
Orbn, in his turn, declared that the outcome of the vote meant that the
Georgian people "voted for peace," adding that "nobody wants to destroy his own
country and bring it into a senseless war."
Orbn's comments appeared to echo some of the divisive Georgian Dream's
campaign rhetoric, in which the governing party accused the opposition of
trying to destabilize the country and pointed at the war in Ukraine, alleging
that the same fate may befall Georgia.
The Hungarian leader described the Georgian vote as free and democratic and
rejected the opposition claim that Georgian Dream opposes integration into the
EU as "really ridiculous."
Orban, Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest partner within the EU and
Europe's longest-serving leader, currently holds the rotating presidency of the
EU, which often is the bloc's global bullhorn and which Orban has used in ways
that highlight internal divisions.
The EU suspended Georgia's membership application process indefinitely
because of a Russian-style "foreign influence law" passed in June. Many
Georgians viewed Saturday's vote as a pivotal referendum on the opportunity to
join the EU.
The election campaign in the nation of 3.7 million people, which borders
Russia, was marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear
campaign. European observers said the election took place in a "divisive"
environment marked by intimidation and instances of vote-buying, double voting
and physical violence.
During the campaign, Georgian Dream used "anti-Western and hostile rhetoric
... promoted Russian misinformation, manipulations, and conspiracy theories,"
said Antonio Lpez-Istriz White, head of the European Parliament monitoring
delegation.
Election observers said instances of intimidation and other violations were
particularly noticeable in rural areas.
Turnout in the vote was among the highest since Georgian Dream first won
control of parliament in 2012.
The party has vowed to continue pushing toward EU accession but also wants
to "reset" ties with Georgia's former imperial master, Russia. In 2008, Georgia
fought and lost a brief war with Moscow, which then recognized the independence
of two breakaway Georgian regions and bolstered its military presence there.
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