Georgia's president accuses Russia of 'special operation' that saw pro-Putin party win election in 'total falsification' of results as she calls for protests on the streets

The president of Georgia has claimed her state was the of a Russian 'special operation' aft a pro-Putin statement won yesterday's election. 

Standing side-by-side pinch nan Georgian opposition, President Salome Zourabichvili said that she did not recognise nan consequence and called for protesters to return to nan streets. 

The country's Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream, led by pro-Putin oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, won 54.8% of Saturday's ballot pinch almost 100% of ballots counted. Following a divisive pre-election campaign, first figures suggested turnout is nan highest since nan ruling statement was first elected successful 2012. 

Georgian electoral observers, who stationed thousands crossed nan state to show nan vote, reported aggregate violations and said nan results 'do not correspond to nan will of nan Georgian people.'

Now President Zourabichvili has pointed nan digit astatine Putin and accused Russia of meddling successful an predetermination which could determine Georgia's spot successful Europe for a generation.

While calling for Georgians to return nan streets of nan capital, Tbilisi, tomorrow evening she said nan results was a 'total falsification, full stealing of your votes.' 

Georgian Dream has go progressively authoritarian, adopting laws akin to those utilized by Russia to ace down connected state of speech. Brussels suspended Georgia's EU rank process indefinitely because of a 'Russian law,' passed successful June.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, nan billionaire laminitis of Georgian Dream who made his luck successful Russia, claimed triumph almost instantly aft polls closed and said, 'It is uncommon successful nan world for nan aforesaid statement to execute specified occurrence successful specified a difficult situation.' He had vowed up of nan predetermination to prohibition guidance parties should his statement win.

Tina Bokuchava, nan chair of nan United National Movement guidance statement accused nan predetermination committee of carrying retired Ivanishvili's 'dirty order' and said he 'stole nan triumph from nan Georgian group and thereby stole nan European future.'

She indicated nan guidance would not admit nan results and 'will conflict for illustration ne'er earlier to reclaim our European future.'

The UNM statement said its office were attacked connected Saturday while Georgian media reported 2 group were hospitalized aft being attacked extracurricular polling stations.

The pre-election run successful nan South Caucasus federation of 3.7 cardinal people, which borders Russia, was dominated by overseas argumentation and marked by a bitter conflict for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.

Some Georgians complained of intimidation and being pressured to ballot for nan governing party.

The Mail reported clear grounds of a shameless effort to rig proceedings. Footage showed coaches afloat of villagers being handed money to ballot and brawls breaking retired pinch predetermination monitors near bloodied.

Video circulated of an guidance predetermination perceiver being savagely beaten astatine a polling position successful Marneuli. The unfortunate is presently successful hospital.

In different clip a Georgian Dream typical Rovshan Iskandarov was seen apparently forcing dozens of voting slips into a ballot box.

Georgians reported uncovering their slips had been tampered with. One showed that a people had been placed beside 1 party, meaning nan ballot would beryllium invalidated if they ticked a abstracted box.

Others posted videos of aggregate slips put wrong 1 postal ballot letter cover while overseas journalists who person been captious of nan authorities person been barred introduction to Georgia.

Georgian Dream scored its highest stock of nan ballot - polling almost 90% - successful nan Javakheti region of confederate Georgia, 83 miles westbound of nan superior Tbilisi wherever it grounded to get much than 44% of nan ballot successful immoderate district.

Around 80% of Georgians favour joining nan EU, according to polls, and nan country's constitution obliges its leaders to prosecute rank successful that bloc and NATO.

Many fearfulness that Georgian Dream is dragging nan state toward authoritarianism and sidesplitting disconnected hopes of becoming and EU member.

The ruling Georgian Dream party, switched to openly support Moscow pursuing Putin 's 2022 penetration of Ukraine contempt nan state being nan astir pro-Western successful nan region.