Georgians voted in a crucial parliamentary election on Saturday that could determine the country’s future alignment with the West or closer ties with the Kremlin. The ruling Georgian Dream party, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been in power since 2012 and is accused of steering the country away from the West and towards Russia.
The opposition, mainly pro-Western groups, fears a move towards authoritarianism if Georgian Dream secures another term. Supporters of the opposition bloc, Save Georgia, led by former president Mikheil Saakashvili, believe their democracy and European future are at stake.
On the other hand, some Georgians support the ruling party for stability and friendly relations with Moscow, as well as to uphold conservative values, including opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. The ruling government has campaigned on “family values” and criticized western excesses, such as LGBTQ+ rights.
The opposition has united in forming pro-European blocs to prevent Georgian Dream from retaining power and to put Georgia back on track to join the EU. However, concerns of electoral fraud and voter manipulation have been raised, potentially leading to mass protests.
GD is projected to win the election, but may fall short of a majority. Observers predict difficulties for GD in forming a government as other blocs refuse to collaborate with it. The outcome of the election is uncertain, as both ruling and opposition parties have conflicting poll results. The fate of Georgia’s democracy and European future hangs in the balance as Georgians wait for the election results.
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