When over 99 percent of the votes had been counted, the Election Authority established that the ruling party Georgian Dream had won, and that the opposition had landed on 38 percent. At the same time, irregularities surrounding the election have been reported from many quarters.
President Salomé Zourabichvili, who primarily has a ceremonial role, accuses Russia of having infiltrated the election and has called on the people to protest on Monday evening.
Gathering in Tbilisi
Demonstrators gathered outside the government building in the capital Tbilisi during the evening. TV broadcasts from the site showed Zourabichvili speaking to opposition supporters.
According to the President, the electoral fraud includes, among other things, "vote-buying, pressure on officials, and pressure on prisoners' families who were promised release".
Money was openly distributed in minibuses outside the polling stations, Zourabichvili said earlier to AFP.
Fraud linked to the electronic voting system also occurred, and the same ID cards were used multiple times, according to the Russian model, she claims.
Opposition leader Grigol Vashadze demands a new election, under international supervision. The opposition will not participate in a new, "illegitimate", government, according to him.
Fateful Election
The election was described in advance as a fateful election, where the result was expected to determine whether the Caucasian country is governed closer to the EU or Russia.
In recent years, the government in Tbilisi has introduced a number of Russian-inspired laws that severely restrict civil society and fundamental rights, which has been seen as undermining the country's EU ambitions. On Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze claims that the goal is still to join the EU by 2030.
State-controlled media in Georgia hail the election result and refer to OSCE observers, without mentioning the irregularities reported.
Orbán to Tbilisi
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Tbilisi on Monday. Orbán had previously congratulated Georgian Dream on their victory.
Orbán's trip to Georgia is being criticized by ministers from 13 different EU countries. In a joint statement, EU ministers from countries including France and Germany also condemn "all breaches of international norms for free and fair elections".
