"We must stand together and declare that we do not recognize these elections and do not accept Russia's entry into Georgia in this manner," said Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who, along with opposition party leaders, is calling on citizens to gather on Rustaveli Avenue tomorrow, October 28, at 19:00.
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Salome Zourabichvili stated at a briefing held in the Orbelian Palace that the parliamentary elections were "totally falsified."
"As the only independent institution left in this country, I want to declare that I do not recognize these elections. These elections cannot be recognized because that would be tantamount to recognizing Russia's entry here and the subordination of Georgia to Russia.
I did not come to this country for that. Our ancestors did not live for this, and we will not tolerate this for our future generations. Nobody can take away Georgia's European future.
I am not just one person; I am an institution, and I represent the population of Georgia today. I want to appeal to the public and tell them that we must stand together and announce that we do not recognize these elections, nor do we recognize Russia and its entry into Georgia in this manner - its conquest in a new form. We will stand together. I am with the parties that participated in the elections and defended the European future, the Georgian Charter.
Together with them, I want to tell you and invite you to gather tomorrow evening at 7 o'clock on Rustaveli Avenue, so that we can collectively declare to the world and to each other that we do not recognize these elections. We defend our constitutional right to peacefully protect every vote, but more importantly, we defend our future and the possibility of fair, democratic elections in this country. We will not relinquish this right to anyone. Tomorrow, we will all say this together. This will be a symbolic statement," said Salome Zourabichvili.
The President also addressed Georgia's partners in Europe and the United States. She emphasized that everyone abroad should understand that the protection of Georgia, its future, and the geopolitical balance in the region "means supporting the people, not establishing any ties with this illegitimate government."
"You cannot protect the people of this country through such means. You can protect the people and their democratic rights here, just as you protected Georgia and stood with the people when the government attempted to pass the Russian Law. Similarly, after these elections, you should stand with us - the people - because these elections did not take place legitimately, and nothing can make them legitimate," said Zourabichvili.
As per data from the Central Election Commission, Georgian Dream received 54% of the votes in the parliamentary elections held on October 26. This result significantly differs from the exit polls commissioned by Formula and Mtavari Arkhi, which indicated that the opposition won more parliamentary seats overall than Georgian Dream.
