I fear for Georgia’s future

Following this weekend’s fraughtly awaited election ‘results’ in Georgia – as important for the country’s direction as any since the end of the Cold War – a potentially explosive situation is developing. While exit polls suggested the Georgian Dream (the incumbent, pro-Kremlin party) would gain no more than 42 per cent to the collective opposition’s 58 per cent, Sunday morning saw GD leader Bidzina Ivanishvili declaring victory and claiming 54 per cent of the vote. ‘It is rare for any party anywhere in the world to achieve such success in such a difficult situation,’ Ivanishvili crowed.  

Yet amidst widespread allegations of rigged ballots, intimidation and voter fraud, opposition parties are refusing to accept the result. Tina Bokuchava, Chairwoman of the oppositionist United National Movement (leader of the anti-government Unity To Save Georgia coalition) has announced that ‘we do not accept the results of this stolen election, and we do not intend to recognise the outcome of this stolen election.’ President