The News in Brief
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Gakharia Rejects Legitimacy of Parliament, Citing Systemic Election Fraud and Government Involvement
Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the For Georgia party, announced that his party will not enter the Georgian Parliament, describing it as "illegitimate" under the control of the Georgian Dream party. "Our party will not give legitimacy to the illegitimate parliament of Georgian Dream," Gakharia said at a recent press conference.
Gakharia provided specifics on the alleged manipulation schemes, claiming they were orchestrated in a "systemic" manner, and asserted that his party is working with election observation missions to build a case. "Today, the most important thing is to reveal which fraud schemes had a systemic character. For this purpose, we cooperate with observation missions and today we have enough evidence," Gakharia stated.
He alleged that various government bodies were involved in the scheme, including the Central Election Commission (CEC), the Ministry of Justice, and the State Security Service. He pointed out their suspected roles in what he described as targeted ID card tampering, adding: "The heaviest of the listed violations - manipulation of ID cards - would have been impossible without the coordinated work of the State Security Service, CEC, and the Ministry of Justice."
In addition to ID manipulation, Gakharia listed tactics like "staffing election commissions with people related to the party, their relatives, and related persons" and exerting "systemic pressure on public officials and socially vulnerable groups." He also highlighted "systematic bribery and distribution of money" as prevalent strategies.
"We have more than enough evidence to refer to the prosecutor's office tomorrow or at the latest the day after this most serious manipulation scheme," Gakharia said.
Opposition Claims Evidence of Election Interference, Calls for Re-Election
Ana Natsvlishvili, a representative of Strong Georgia party, claims the opposition has a detailed plan to challenge the recent election results, accusing the government of election manipulation. She stated that the opposition has "deciphered the scheme by which they hijacked the elections" on October 26, and they are now demanding the immediate release of specific electoral lists that they believe contain "irrefutable evidence" of fraud. If the authorities do not release these lists within 24 hours, Natsvlishvili warned, it would further validate the opposition's accusations.
Natsvlishvili also emphasized that the opposition will leverage international platforms to substantiate these claims, underscoring the call for the elections to be re-conducted under an International Election Administration. The opposition, in response to these alleged irregularities, has refused to join parliament, focusing instead on consolidating evidence and pressing for electoral accountability on an international level.
Gakharia Rejects Legitimacy of Parliament, Citing Systemic Election Fraud and Government Involvement
Gakharia provided specifics on the alleged manipulation schemes, claiming they were orchestrated in a "systemic" manner, and asserted that his party is working with election observation missions to build a case. "Today, the most important thing is to reveal which fraud schemes had a systemic character. For this purpose, we cooperate with observation missions and today we have enough evidence," Gakharia stated.
He alleged that various government bodies were involved in the scheme, including the Central Election Commission (CEC), the Ministry of Justice, and the State Security Service. He pointed out their suspected roles in what he described as targeted ID card tampering, adding: "The heaviest of the listed violations - manipulation of ID cards - would have been impossible without the coordinated work of the State Security Service, CEC, and the Ministry of Justice."
In addition to ID manipulation, Gakharia listed tactics like "staffing election commissions with people related to the party, their relatives, and related persons" and exerting "systemic pressure on public officials and socially vulnerable groups." He also highlighted "systematic bribery and distribution of money" as prevalent strategies.
"We have more than enough evidence to refer to the prosecutor's office tomorrow or at the latest the day after this most serious manipulation scheme," Gakharia said.
Opposition Claims Evidence of Election Interference, Calls for Re-Election
Natsvlishvili also emphasized that the opposition will leverage international platforms to substantiate these claims, underscoring the call for the elections to be re-conducted under an International Election Administration. The opposition, in response to these alleged irregularities, has refused to join parliament, focusing instead on consolidating evidence and pressing for electoral accountability on an international level.