Former Georgian Prime Minister says country’s elections were ‘rigged’ and ‘written in Moscow’

First time on Fox: Former Georgia Prime Minister Nika Gilauri told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the country now has Russian-style elections. And the country has no reliable or legitimate parliament. Adding another blow to Georgia’s long struggle to join the European Union.

“The elections are strict. And now we have an illegal parliament,” Gilauri told Fox News Digital.

For many in the fight for democracy in Georgia The election victory of the Russian-backed Georgian Dream There is no doubt that it is a victory for President Vladimir. Putin of Russia

Putin looks to halt Georgia’s western ambitions in key elections

The then Prime Minister of Georgia, Nika Gilauri, spoke at a news conference in Tbilisi on August 21, 2009. (ZVIAD NIKOLAISHVILI/AFP via Getty Images)

“Putin praised the Georgian government for standing up to European pressure within minutes of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announcing the halt to the process of Georgia’s European integration,” Gilauri said.

“Everything looks fine,” the former prime minister added.

Protesters wave EU flags during a rally outside parliament to protest the government’s decision to suspend EU accession negotiations for four years in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Saturday morning, November 1, 30 Oct. 2024 ( AP photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze) (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

Gilauri, who was Georgia’s prime minister from 2009 to 2012, said you see Russia’s hand in everything happening in Georgia right now. The former prime minister said Russian President Vladimir Putin has the latest pattern of interfering in the affairs of his neighbors. It cited the decision of the Romanian Constitutional Court that invalidated the country’s presidential election due to Russian involvement. The same goes for attempts to undermine Moldova’s democracy by sowing it. Chaos in the political system

“We have a very similar situation. And it was written in Moscow. It was written in Romania, in Moldova, in Ukraine, and now it is being processed in Georgia,” Gilauri said.

Thousands of Georgians battled freezing temperatures. and officials, it has been almost a month since the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party Claims election victory and halts efforts to join the EU

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke during his annual press conference and telephone call in Moscow. Russia on December 19, 2024 (Reuters/Maxim Chemetov)

More than 460 people have been detained since peaceful protests erupted on November 1, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, September 29, around 300 people reported violent beatings and other acts of violence. Other cruel practices

US warns actors with ties to Russia seeking “Revolts” in European countries

Gilauri also said that Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili should not resign and should remain in her position. Zurabishvili’s presidential term ends on Dec. 1. On Sept. 29, the new Georgian Dream majority in parliament appointed her successor, Mike. Il Kavelachvili

“President Salome. Georgian Zurabishvili is the only legitimate institution that Georgia has at the moment,” Gilauri said.

Protesters gather at the parliament building during a protest against the foreign influence bill in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 28, 2024. The Georgian parliament overturned the president’s veto on the bill. “Foreign agents” that have aroused Western concern and sparked mass protests for several weeks (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

Zurabishvili, who supports Europe Declared that the election was fraudulent. and that Parliament is unlawful. And without the authority to appoint her replacement, Kavelashvili, who has the support of the Georgian Dream, criticizes the West. And the opposition sees him as an extension of the Georgian Dream’s ambitions to move the country closer to Russia. and away from their European ambitions.

President Zurabishvili It says October’s parliamentary elections were stolen. And she will not resign from her position. Thousands of people gathered to hear Zurabishvili speak at a rally on Rustaveli Street. In the center of Tbilisi on Sunday night The president called on Georgian Dream leaders to negotiate and hold new elections.

In this photo published by the Georgia Presidential Press Office. President Salome Zurabishvili President of Georgia Speaking at a joint press conference with the foreign ministers of the Baltic and Nordic states. During a visit to Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Georgia Presidential News Service via AP)

“I am ready to sit down and find a solution to the election timing. But the decision must be approved by the 29th,” the president posted on X.

Zhurabishvili has become the de facto leader of the protest movement. Her decision could cause further chaos when her presidential term officially ends on the 29th.

Russia’s peddling of influence adds to fears following untested presidential elections in European countries.

Irakli Kobakhidze, current Prime Minister of Georgia It is recommended that Zurabishvili be jailed if she does not step down from the presidency.

Georgian Dream, a party supported by Russia The victory was won shortly after polls closed on election night. With approximately 54% of the vote, the US opposition mustered just 38%. Reuters reports The Georgian Dream said it remains committed to integration with the West. and pursue a pragmatic policy towards neighboring Russia.

Radio Free Europe Report Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze said after voting in the October election that “This is a referendum between war and peace. Between immoral propaganda and traditional values This is a referendum between the country’s dark past and its bright future.”

Georgia’s Prime Minister Kobakhidze attends a press conference in Tbilisi, Georgia on November 1, September 28, 2024. (Irakli Gedenidze)

Many opposition leaders rejected the victory claimed by the Georgian Dream. and accused the election of being stolen and rigged.

Georgia’s president and many Western observers maintain that the election results were flawed by various irregularities. Including fraud and ballot stuffing.

This election “Features a stressful environment. and various events Lots of physical altercations and widespread voter intimidation,” the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said in a statement. European Council President Charles Michel said in a statement. It called for an investigation into allegations of such irregularities.

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Many Georgians have a strong desire to join the European Union. The survey found that as many as 83% supported the movement. The Georgian Dream party has blocked Georgia’s attempts to join the EU since becoming a candidate member in 2023. The EU later temporarily suspended Georgia’s process after the law. Controversial “foreign agents” designated citizens NGOs, media, etc. Civil society organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents with the Ministry of Justice.

After the passage of the Pro-Kremlin Foreign Agents Act, the United States has imposed sanctions and travel bans on Georgian officials who voted for the law and security agencies responsible for cracking down on dissent. The State Department also suspended $95 million in government aid.

Reuters contributed to this report.