There are currently unrests in Georgia following the parliamentary elections and as a result of internal tensions. The accusations of the current and presumably next election losers are striking. And the similarities to the events in Ukraine in 2014 are worrying.
Elections for the 10th Georgian Parliament took place on October 26, 2024. The ruling party Georgian Dream/Democratic Georgia (KO) gained slightly (+5.7%) and remains the strongest force (53.9%). The ruling party is opposed by four opposition parties including ENM. They received a total of 38% and do not recognize the election result. The opposition party Unity/National Movement (ENM) lost massively (-24%) and became the third largest party (10.1%). The other three parties did not exist in the last parliamentary elections in 2020 or did not pass the 5% hurdle. According to the OSCE no electoral fraud took place. [1] [2]
Shortly after the parliamentary elections and still in October, the opposition began to speak of fraud. The electoral authority recounted some of the votes because of the allegations and confirmed the previous result. According to the electoral authority the final counts in about 9% of the newly counted polling stations changed only slightly. In addition, the Georgian prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into suspected electoral fraud and the opposition has announced that it will not take up its mandates. [3] [4] [5]
Meanwhile demonstrators have gathered in Georgia's capital, set up tents and demanded new parliamentary elections. There have been repeated clashes with the police. [6] [7]
Still Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili (Independent) has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court. And on December 3, 2024 this Constitutional Court in Georgia rejected the request to annul the parliamentary election. Nevertheless Zurabishvili (Independent) has announced that she will not clear the way for presidential elections. Instead she is calling for a repeat of the parliamentary election. According to a draft resolution passed by parliament the presidency will end on December 16 and presidential elections will be held on December 14 with an inauguration on December 29. In addition the president will be elected for the first time not by the population but by an electoral body. [8] [9]
On December 14, 2024 Mikheil Kavelashvili of the People's Power Party (KD) was elected as the next president. Kavelashvili (KD) received 100% of the votes. But this is the consequence of the fact that the opposition boycotted this vote. [10] [11]
Interference
The Georgian government is regularly accused of collaborating with Russia and breaking with the EU. Georgia recently froze EU accession negotiations until 2028. In fact the EU froze EU accession negotiations in June 2024. At the same time Georgia has no plans to resume diplomatic relations with Russia. Georgia ended diplomatic relations with Russia after the Caucasus War in 2008. But Georgia is heavily dependent on the Russian economy. Of Georgia's exports exports to Russia account for 4.2%. And of Georgia's imports exports from Russia account for 10.2%. Of Russia's imports and exports, exports from Georgia account for less than 1%. Russia is therefore not dependent on the smaller Georgian economy. [7] [9] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Background
As a result of the foreig agent law passed in Georgia protests broke out. It is unusual that foreign politicians are getting involved this time too. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag Michael Roth (SPD) appeared at these protests and joined the demonstrations. And the EU has announced that it will probably reduce political and financial support. [16] [17] [18]
And in 2014 a change of government took place in the Ukraine. This was triggered by the fact that the EU forced an association agreement with Ukraine. President Viktor Yanukovych was voted out of office by the Ukrainian parliament. [19] [20] And that neo-Nazis in Ukraine played a role in the Ukraine in and since this change of government is visible from the beginning. [21] [22] [23] [24] The impeachment procedure under Article 108 however violated Article 111 because the Ukrainian Constitutional Court was not involved. [25] Meanwhile US diplomats Geoffrey Pyatt and Victoria Nuland bluntly planned the future government of Ukraine and expressed their stance on the EU as "Fuck the EU". [26] And Hunter Biden the son of former Vice President Joe Biden was elected to the board of directors of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. [27] [28]
[Foreign Policy] Georgia - The previous and next Ukraine
[1] Georgia’s elections marred by an uneven playing field, pressure and tension, but voters were offered a wide choice: international observers 2024-10-27
https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/georgia/579376
[2] Georgia's pro-EU opposition says vote stolen as ruling party claims victory 2024-10-27
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wqq6l99w3o
[3] Umstrittene Wahl in Georgien - Teilweise Neuauszählung bestätigt Ergebnis 2024-10-31
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/georgien-wahl-neuauszaehlung-100.html
[4] Nach teilweiser Neuauszählung : Wahlergebnis in Georgien bestätigt 2024-10-31
https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/ausland/georgien-neuauszaehlung-sieg-regierungspartei-bestaetigt-100.html
[5] Trotz umstrittener Wahlabläufe - Georgien veröffentlicht amtliches Wahlergebnis 2024-11-16
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/georgien-wahlergebnis-bestaetigung-100.html
[6] Protesters in Georgia’s capital set up a tent camp and demand new elections, wary of Russia 2024-11-18
https://apnews.com/article/georgia-protest-lgbtq-election-russia-cc8169abe7d03205e8cf2c032891b6a9
[7] Police in Georgia break up protesters’ camp in Tbilisi but they quickly return 2024-11-20
https://apnews.com/article/georgia-protest-election-european-union-russia-3d6d8774501c0c8bcb6bdb2849123126
[8] Innenpolitische Krise : Georgiens Präsidentin will bis Neuwahl im Amt bleiben 2024-12-01
https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/ausland/georgien-proteste-praesidentin-100.html
[9] Verfassungsgericht in Georgien bestätigt Wahlergebnis 2024-12-03
https://www.dw.com/de/verfassungsgericht-in-georgien-best%C3%A4tigt-wahlergebnis/a-70947728
[10] Ex-soccer player Kavelashvili becomes Georgia’s president in a blow to country’s EU aspirations
https://apnews.com/article/georgia-president-zourabichvili-russia-kavelashvili-protests-3a7f5018879c77b6c596d312a163b79c
[11] Umstrittene Abstimmung - Kawelaschwili zum georgischen Präsidenten gewählt 2024-12-14
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/georgien-praesidentenwahl-100.html
[12] Georgia Says No Plans to Restore Diplomatic Ties With Moscow 2024-10-27
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/10/27/georgia-says-no-plans-to-restore-diplomatic-ties-with-moscow-a86823
[13] IMF - Exporte Georgien/Russland
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.GSR.GNFS.CD?locations=RU-GE
[14] IMF - Importe Georgien/Russland
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BM.GSR.GNFS.CD?locations=RU-GE&most_recent_value_desc=false
[15] OEC - Georgien/Russland
https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000144259223/massenproteste-in-georgien-wegen-umstrittenem-agenten-gesetz
[17] SPD-Außenexperte Michael Roth reist wegen umstrittenen Gesetzes nach Georgien 2024-05-12
https://www.rnd.de/politik/georgien-spd-aussenexperte-michael-roth-unterstuetzt-demonstranten-FABD53AWGBBQXOBTX64RZ7BGKY.html
[18] Kürzung der Unterstützung - EU bestraft Georgien für umstrittenes Gesetz 2024-06-24
https://www.n-tv.de/politik/EU-bestraft-Georgien-fuer-umstrittenes-Gesetz-und-will-politische-Kontakte-herunterfahren-article25039579.html
[19] Ukrainian MPs vote to oust President Yanukovych 2014-04-22
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26304842
[20] Parliament votes 328-0 to impeach Yanukovych on Feb. 22; sets May 25 for new election; Tymoshenko free 2014-04-23
https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/euromaidan-rallies-in-ukraine-feb-21-live-updates-337287.html
[21] Das Bataillon Asow - Schmutziger Kampf in der Ukraine: Neonazis im Dienst der Regierung 2014-08-14
https://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/das-bataillon-asow-schmutziger-kampf-in-der-ukraine-neonazis-im-dienst-der-regierung_id_4058717.html
[22] Ukraine-Konflikt im ZDF - Hakenkreuz und SS-Rune - Protest von Zuschauern 2014-09-11
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/medien/ukraine-konflikt-im-zdf-hakenkreuz-und-ss-rune-protest-von-zuschauern/10685462.html
[23] Ukraine protests are no longer just about Europe 2014-01-22
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/22/ukraine-protests-europe-far-right-violence
[24] Neo-Nazis and the Far Right Are On the March in Ukraine 2019-02-22
https://www.thenation.com/article/neo-nazis-far-right-ukraine/
[25] CONSTITUTION OF UKRAINE
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/11/08/constitution_14.pdf
[26] Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call 2014-04-07
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26079957
[27] Vice President Joe Biden's son joins Ukraine gas company 2014-05-14
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27403003
[28] Muted response to Biden son's Ukraine job 2014-05-16
https://www.dw.com/en/muted-response-to-biden-sons-ukraine-job/a-17641022
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