Georgian opposition parties refuse to accept election loss

Georgia’s pro-Western opposition parties have rejected the results of the recent parliamentary elections, vowing to overturn the outcome through what one leader described as an unprecedented fight.

“We do not accept the stolen election results and are not going to recognise them,” declared Tina Bokuchava, head of the pro-European Unity-National Movement (UNM) party, at a post-election news briefing.

She accused the ruling Georgian Dream party and the central election committee of “stealing the European future” from Georgia, claiming that the opposition actually holds the “mandate of trust” from the people.

Official results show Georgian Dream securing nearly 54% of the vote, positioning it to claim at least 90 seats in the 150-member chamber—a significant increase from its previous 74 seats.

Yet Bokuchava’s UNM, which garnered just over 10%, maintains that the results were manipulated.

“We will fight like never before for the return of our European future and will not come to terms with the stolen election results,” she pledged. Bokuchava also announced that UNM will boycott parliament.

The opposition’s stance was echoed by Nika Gvaramia, leader of the ‘Coalition for Changes’ party and a former justice minister, who condemned the election as a “constitutional coup.”

Gvaramia asserted that “Georgian Dream has usurped power” and promised his group would not recognize the ruling party’s legitimacy. “They will be held accountable for this under Georgian law,” he stated, demanding that Georgian Dream “acknowledge the opposition victory.”

Adding to the tensions, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who leans pro-European, reportedly met with opposition figures, including Bokuchava, a move she described as “very important.”

Georgian Dream Chairman Mamuka Mdinaradze dismissed Zourabichvili’s actions, labelling her an “agent” of the opposition.

“Georgia no longer has a president. Georgia has an agent, a leader of the radical opposition… the main coordinator,” he said in a scathing response.

The opposition’s refusal to concede reflects growing divisions within Georgia, with pro-Western forces arguing that the election results undermine the country’s European aspirations. As opposition leaders gear up for what they describe as a “fight like never before,” Georgia’s political landscape appears increasingly polarized.