Opposition coalition protests election results

The Strength in Unity opposition coalition does not recognise the results of the elections held on November 28 and demands snap parliamentary elections.

The Georgian Dream ruling party endorsed presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili received 59.52 per cent of the vote and became the first woman president elected in Georgia and the region.

Opposition coalition candidate Grigol Vashadze was supported by 40.48 per cent of voters.

“We do not recognise these elections and its results. Georgia does not have a president, Bidzina Ivanishvili has a president,” Grigol Vashadze said at a meeting with supporters in Tbilisi last night.

The opposition coalition has demanded earlier parliamentary elections and announced a protest rally on Sunday on Rustaveli avenue in Tbilisi.

Ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili  who has been actively involved in the election campaign of Grigol Vashadze from abroad called on UNM supporters to start a ‘civil disobedience movement’ as soon as the exit polls by Imedi TV and Rustavi 2 private broadcasters were released on November 28, both saying that the Georgian Dream ruling party endorsed presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili has won the elections.

He made the statement via Facebook live and also joined the meeting of the opposition coalition yesterday via Skype call.

A Georgian court has found Saakashvili guilty for abuse of power over the high-profile murder case of Sandro Girgvliani in 2006 and sentenced him to three years in prison in absentia. He was also sentenced to six years in prison in absentia for exceeding official powers, violence and deliberate damage to health over the high profile violence case against opposition lawmaker Valeri Gelashvili. Saakashvili was also banned from taking any state post for two years and three months.