Georgian opposition meets EU Ambassador, urges international probe of “rigged” elections

Georgia’s opposition leaders have urged the EU to support an independent investigation into alleged manipulation of the October 26 parliamentary elections, claiming that the ruling Georgian Dream party “hijacked” the process.

Representatives Badri Japaridze, Nika Gvaramia, and Tina Bokuchava met with the EU Ambassador in Tbilisi on Friday to present what they described as evidence of widespread electoral violations.

Following the meeting, Japaridze called the talks “highly informative,” saying the ambassador was briefed on evidence that “directly confirms” interference by Georgian Dream.

He argued that an investigation led by Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office would not be impartial and that EU involvement was critical, as Georgia’s candidate status for EU membership required transparency and fair elections. “For the EU to make informed decisions on issues like visa regime or sanctions, it must have completely accurate information,” he said.

The opposition has declared the election results fraudulent, staging rallies across Georgia to demand a new vote. President Salome Zourabichvili has also denounced the election as rigged, and calls for an independent probe have gained traction internationally.

Gvaramia reported that the EU is “fully informed” on the situation and expects further documents from the opposition. “Our aim is an EU-led assessment mission to scrutinize the integrity of the election process in line with international standards,” he stated, noting that the possibility of an investigation now “depends on communication between both sides.”

The October 26 elections received critical assessments from Western observers, who highlighted numerous pre-election and election-day irregularities. While leaders from Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Turkey, and Iran have congratulated Georgian Dream, the US and several European nations have called for a thorough investigation and refrained from endorsing the results. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the only European leader to have visited Georgia since the vote.