Georgia was victim of a Russian ‘special operation’ in election, its president says

Georgia’s president Salome Zourabichvili on Sunday said the country was the victim of a Russian “special operation” as she stood alongside Georgia’s opposition to say she did not recognise the results of the vote.

“We are witnesses and victims of a Russian special operation, a modern form of hybrid war against the Georgian people,” she said.

Zourabichvili called on Georgians to come out at 7pm on Monday on the main street in the capital to protest against the result, which she said was a “total falsification, total stealing of your votes”. She spoke the day after an election which could decide Georgia’s place in Europe.

The Central Election Commission said on Sunday that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, got 54.8 per cent of Saturday’s vote with almost 100 per cent of ballots counted.

European electoral observers said the election took place in a “divisive” environment marked by intimidation and instances of physical violence which undermined the outcome of the vote.