Sawt Falasteen - Tens of thousands rally in Georgia for EU ahead of pivotal vote

Saturday's vote will pit an unprecedented alliance of pro-Western opposition forces against the ruling Georgian Dream party, accused by Brussels of shifting towards authoritarianism and derailing EU candidate Tbilisi from its European path.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, waving EU and Georgian flags and holding banners that read "Georgia chooses the European Union" gathered at Tbilisi's central Freedom Square after marching towards the venue from five different locations, AFP journalists on the scene reported.

The crowd sang the country's national anthem and the Georgian lyrics to Europe's "Ode to Joy".

Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili -- at loggerheads with the government -- joined the rally, which she said "shows that Georgia has already won and will reintegrate with Europe".

She also addressed fellow EU-hopeful Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky: "You are fighting for Georgia as well. You will be victorious and we will enter the European Union together."

One of the demonstrators, 20-year-old university student Kote Tsintsandze said: "Georgia's fate is hanging by a thread. These elections will decide if we can finally break free from Georgian Dream's dictatorship.

"You can see here that the people are united in their determination to be where we belong -- Europe," he added.

Another demonstrator, 49-year-old nurse Lia Nemsadze, said: "This huge rally shows that people are rejecting Georgian Dream's pro-Russian government and choosing Europe.

"Look at this sea of EU flags. Where else in Europe are these flags held with such hope?"

- 'Path of EU membership' -

Several Georgian NGOs, including Georgia's European Orbit and the "My Voice to the EU" coalition, called on Georgians to stage a mass rally from 7:00 pm (1500 GMT).

"Choosing unity, development, and the European Union, Georgians will rally on October 20 (Sunday) and show their resolve to pursue the path of EU membership," organisers said on Facebook.

Brussels froze Georgia's EU accession process earlier this year after Georgian Dream lawmakers passed a controversial "foreign influence law" targeting civil society.

The adoption of the measure -- criticised as a Kremlin-style law to silence dissent -- sparked weeks of mass street protests and also prompted Washington to impose sanctions on dozens of Georgian officials.

Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell cautioned that Georgian Dream's actions "signal a shift towards authoritarianism".

He called the upcoming polls "a crucial test for democracy in Georgia and its European Union path".

Opinion polls suggest opposition parties are likely to garner enough votes in Saturday's election to form a coalition government and replace the ruling party, controlled by powerful billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Analysts have warned of the risk of turmoil if Georgian Dream attempts to hold onto power regardless of the vote's outcome.

Bids for membership of the EU and NATO are enshrined in Georgia's constitution and supported by some 80 percent of the population, according to multiple opinion polls commissioned by groups including the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute.

N.Awad--SF-PST