Georgian President Challenges EU To Press Ruling Party On New Vote
According to RFE/RL, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili challenged the European Union to do more to support pro-EU protesters and press the ruling Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party to hold new elections following its unilateral decision to postpone negotiations with the 27-member bloc.
Protesters, who have seen their street protests met with heavy handed police tactics, have also called for fresh elections in almost daily rallies following allegations of electoral fraud during the October parliamentary poll whose results the opposition has refused to recognize amid accusations that Georgian Dream rigged the vote to cling to power.
In power since 2012, Georgian Dream was founded by Russia-friendly billionaire and ex-Prime Minister BidzinaIvanishvili.
Pro-European Zurabishvili, who has sided with the protesters, told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg on December 18, that the elections must be repeated since they were marred by fraud, violence, and Russian influence.
“Europe needs to find the leverage to act. If Europe cannot exert leverage on a country of 3.7 million, how can it expect to compete with the giants of the 21st century?” she said, while also accusing Georgian Dream of spending the equivalent of some $214 million in what she called "black money" to sway the election in its favor.
"Intimidation, the use of administrative resources, Russian-style propaganda...In addition, 'black money' was used in large quantities. There were no police during the elections. I personally witnessed violence in various districts and tried to contact the minister of internal affairs, but I could not get through," Zurabishvili added.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December last year but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law. Critics say the legislation threatens media outlets and civil society groups and mirrors a similar Russian law used by the Kremlin to stifle political opponents and civil society.
After the ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory in an election on October 26, protests restarted and intensified after the government said it was suspending talks with Brussels on Tbilisi's bid to join the EU, Georgia’s biggest donor, biggest economic market, and home to the South Caucasus country’s biggest diaspora until 2028.
EU foreign ministers on December 16 agreed to slap visa restrictions on some Georgian officials, but Moscow-friendly Hungary and Slovakia blocked a proposed package of sanctions against leading Georgian officials for the violent crackdown on protesters.
“If we are honest, Europe so far has not fully lived (up) to the moment. Europe has, so far, met the challenge halfway,” she said. “Where Georgians have been fighting day and night, Europeans have been slow to wake up and slow to react.”
Zurabishvili is due to be replaced by a Georgian Dream-friendly ex-soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili, who was appointed as Georgia’s new president by parliament last week.
