The Georgian opposition plans to protest against the declared victory of the ruling party in the elections

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Opposition supporters in Georgia planned to protest Monday in the country’s capital against the official results of a weekend parliamentary election in which the ruling party was declared the winner amid voting irregularities and accusations of Russian interference.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said on Sunday she did not recognize the official results and that the country was the victim of a “Russian special operation” aimed at bringing it back into Moscow’s orbit and derailing its plan to join the European Union.

Zurabishvili, a fierce critic of the ruling party, called on Georgians to gather on the main street of the capital Tbilisi on Monday evening to protest what she called “total fraud, total theft of your votes,” raising the possibility of new elections. political instability in the country of the South Caucasus.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on social media X that “the Georgian people embraced democracy yesterday” and called on Georgia’s political leaders to “respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, address flaws in the electoral process and move Georgia toward a Euro-Atlantic future.”

The Central Election Commission said on Sunday that the ruling Georgian Dream party received 54.8% of the vote on Saturday with almost all ballots counted. The party founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, has become increasingly authoritarian over the past year, passing laws similar to those the Kremlin uses to suppress free speech.

The EU has suspended Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely due to a Russian-style “foreign influence law” passed in June. Many Georgians saw Saturday’s vote as a decisive referendum on EU membership.

The election campaign in the country of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, has been marked by bitter competition for votes and accusations of a smear campaign. European election observers said the election took place in a “divisive” environment marked by intimidation and incidents of vote buying, double voting and physical violence.

During the election campaign, Georgian Dream used “anti-Western and hostile rhetoric… promoting Russian disinformation, manipulation and conspiracy theories,” said Antonio López-Isturiz White, head of the European Parliament’s observation delegation.

Election observers said incidents of intimidation and election irregularities were particularly noticeable in rural areas.

Georgian Dream received the largest share of votes – almost 90% – in the Javakheti region in southern Georgia. In the capital, she received no more than 44% in any district.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a member of Georgian Dream, on Sunday described his party’s success as “impressive and obvious” and that “any attempt to talk about election manipulation… is doomed to failure.”

Initial data showed voter turnout to be the highest since Georgian Dream was first elected in 2012. The party has vowed to continue its push toward EU membership but also to “reset” ties with Georgia’s former imperial master Russia. In 2008, Georgia fought and lost a short war with Russia, which then recognized the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions and increased its military presence there.

European Council President Charles Michel called on Georgian officials to “quickly, transparently and independently investigate” election irregularities and urged the ruling party to demonstrate its “strong commitment” to the EU.

Viktor Orban of Hungary was the first foreign leader to congratulate Georgian Dream and the first to visit Georgia and meet the prime minister during a trip to Tbilisi on Monday and Tuesday.

Associated Press journalist Sofiko Megrelidze contributed to this report.