UNM leader: Ruling party used “criminal scheme” to manipulate elections

United National Movement (UNM) leader Giorgi Vashadze has accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of conducting a deliberate “criminal scheme” to manipulate the recent election. In a televised statement, Vashadze pointed to findings from Nodar Meladze’s Saturday, an investigative journalism program that reportedly revealed organized election interference by ruling Georgian Dream.

Vashadze stressed, the broadcast uncovered a range of tactics allegedly used by Georgian Dream, including breaches of voter privacy, carousel voting, and vote manipulation through forged documentation. He claimed that these tactics were part of a “criminal network” designed to secure the ruling party’s control, adding that specific election commission members were placed in key roles to support the scheme.

“We witnessed clear evidence of voter manipulation and control by Georgian Dream, which compromised voter secrecy and used intimidation tactics, including illegal call centers to pressure individuals. Additionally, there was documented evidence of votes cast on behalf of Georgians living abroad, as well as appointed individuals in the commissions who played pivotal roles in this organized scheme,” Vashadze said.

Vashadze called for an international investigation, emphasizing that Georgian Dream has resisted such transparency efforts due to the extensive evidence of their influence.

“This was not a legitimate election. It was a coordinated operation against Georgia’s national interests,” he asserted.