Georgian President Rejects Election Results

TBILISI, Oct 28 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Sunday rejected the results of parliamentary elections as grossly rigged, reported Xinhua.

At a press briefing, she said the president and the opposition would not reconcile with fraudulent elections.

"I do not accept this election. It cannot be accepted," Zourabichvili said, calling on citizens to stage protest outside the Georgian Parliament.

On Saturday, Georgia held its parliamentary elections under a fully proportional system for the first time. Almost 90 per cent of voters cast their ballots via electronic devices installed at the polling stations.

The ruling Georgian Dream party has won the parliamentary elections, the Central Election Commission said late Saturday.  

Meanwhile, the United States has added its voice to local and international observers of Georgia's election, who have called for a full investigation of reported election-related violations, according to the German news agency (dpa).

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a statement released on Sunday, noted that both local and international observers agreed that while the election was "generally well administered" there were reports of irregularities, especially in the pre-election phase, and sporadic violence.

"International observers have not declared the result to be free and fair," he said.

Blinken cited pre-election reports of Georgian Dream's misuse of public funds, vote buying and voter intimidation - "all of which contributed to an uneven playing field and undermined public and international trust in the possibility of a fair outcome”.

Blinken condemned any violations of international norms and urged the country's leaders to respect the rule of law, repeal any laws that undermine basic freedoms and fix deficiencies in the electoral process.

These moves will be needed if the country is to proceed with its European and Transatlantic integration goals, he said.

-- BERNAMA-AGENCIES