Georgian Dream secured 54% of the vote, but President claims the election was stolen. Opposition parties allege violations, while the EU and US call for an investigation. The Kremlin denies any interference in the voting process.
Thousands protested outside Georgia's parliament in Tbilisi on Monday after the governing Georgian Dream party won an election marred by voting irregularities.
Demonstrators, some holding anti-Russia banners, viewed the election as pivotal for the country's future, with Georgian Dream deepening ties with Russia while the opposition aims for quicker integration with Europe. Despite Georgia's application for EU membership, its candidate status was frozen due to legislation on foreign agents.
Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, received nearly 54% of the vote, according to the election commission. The four main opposition parties, rejecting the results, announced a boycott of parliament.
President Salome Zourabichvili urged citizens to protest, stating, "You did not lose the elections. Your vote was stolen, and they tried to steal your future as well." She called for peaceful defense of their constitutional right to have their votes respected.
Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe noted incidents of vote-buying, voter intimidation, and ballot-stuffing but did not declare the election rigged.
The election outcome poses a challenge to the EU's expansion plans in former Soviet states. NATO and the EU called for a full investigation. The US is in discussions with European partners regarding an appropriate investigative body and has warned of potential consequences if the Georgian government does not address its "anti-democratic actions."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Ir...
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added tha...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for greater unity across the Islamic world, saying Türkiye is seeking to strengthen allianc...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
Iran is setting conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including an end to the war, the lifting of the U.S. blockade and sanctions. At the same time, Washington is stepping up economic pressure on Tehran through what the White House calls “Operation Economic Outcast.”
Mail sorting centres used by Nova Poshta, Ukraine's largest private postal company, were destroyed in Russian strikes overnight, the firm said. Elsewhere, four people were injured after drones struck an apartment building in Sevastopol, Crimea, according to the Moscow-installed governor.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
Central Asia is moving towards a more connected digital financial system, as rising cashless payments, expanding digital wallets and growing cross-border trade create demand for faster and cheaper ways to move money across the region.
Around five years ago, British prosecutors reportedly decided against pursuing war crime charges against Asma al-Assad, the then First Lady of Syria, because she was unlikely to return to the UK.
Central Asia is emerging as a new market for fintech investment, with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan leading the region’s push to attract venture capital, develop startups and build digital financial infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Kyrgyzstan next week to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where he is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with regional leaders.
Kazakhstan’s government has stepped down as the newly elected unicameral parliament, known as the Kurultai, begins its first session, marking the next stage of political restructuring under the country’s new Constitution.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment