Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the opposition party Gakharia for Georgia and former Prime Minister, on Thursday made an appeal to the diplomatic corps in Georgia, urging them to boycott the first session of the 11th Parliament.
He accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of orchestrating widespread electoral fraud during the October 26 general elections and called on international partners to uphold democratic principles.
“I would like to ask you to protect the essence, content, and meaning of Georgian citizens’ participation in elections as the main democratic tool for a peaceful change of government,” Gakharia said in a briefing directed at embassies representing the United States and EU member states.
He highlighted ongoing protests across Georgia, where “tens of thousands” of citizens are contesting the election results. Gakharia also pointed to statements from international partners calling for a “full, independent investigation” into alleged irregularities.
The opposition leader accused Georgian Dream of using three “systemic” tactics to manipulate the election: compromising ballot secrecy, forming electoral commissions under its influence, and misusing citizens’ personal data. “Neither the international community nor our citizens accept the results of these elections as legitimate and fair,” he asserted.
Gakharia also criticized the government for failing to address public concerns, claiming they could have resolved the crisis by publishing voter participation lists. Instead, he accused authorities of initiating a “fake investigation” and seizing equipment storing key electoral data.
“The country is clearly in a crisis of legitimacy,” Gakharia said, adding that the government’s actions undermine trust in democratic processes. He urged citizens to voice their protest on the day of the parliamentary session, emphasizing that the elections were neither “fair nor democratic.”
The ruling Georgian Dream party has dismissed allegations of election rigging, maintaining that the results reflect the will of the people.
Meanwhile, the international community has yet to take a definitive stance on the opposition’s demands.
