Sawt Falasteen - Georgia thrown into political turmoil after disputed vote

The European Union had warned that Saturday's vote, seen as a crucial test of democracy in the Caucasus country, would determine Tbilisi's chances of joining the bloc.

A group of international observers said the vote was "marred by an uneven playing field, pressure and tension," while noting that election day was generally well organised.

A mission from the EU parliament meanwhile expressed concern about "democratic backsliding", saying it had seen instances of "ballot box stuffing" and the "physical assault" of observers.

The result sets the stage for a political showdown that analysts warn could derail Georgia's European aspirations.

Official tallies from more than 99 percent of precincts showed the ruling Georgian Dream party winning 54.08 percent of the vote, while a union of four pro-Western opposition alliances garnered 37.58 percent, according to central election commission chair Giorgi Kalandarishvili.

The result gives Georgian Dream 91 seats in the 150-member parliament -- enough to govern but short of the supermajority it had sought to pass a constitutional ban on all main opposition parties.

"Our victory is impressive," Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said in a statement, accusing the opposition of "undermining the country's constitutional order" by questioning his party's victory.

An exit poll by US pollster Edison Research had projected an opposition victory by an 11-percent margin.

- EU hopes 'dimmed' -

Opposition parties said the vote was rigged and refused to recognise the electoral outcome.

Tina Bokuchava, leader of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) that campaigned on a pro-European platform, said the results were "falsified" and the election "stolen."

"This is an attempt to steal Georgia's future," she said, declaring that the UNM did not accept the results.

Nika Gvaramia, leader of the liberal Akhali party, called the way the vote was held "a constitutional coup" by the government.

Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili said there had been "deeply troubling incidents of violence" at some polling stations.

An election observer at a polling station in Georgia's south-eastern village of Sadakhlo told AFP that he had "witnessed massive ballot staffing" and suggested "coordinated multiple voting in favour of Georgian Dream."

A joint group of observers including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Council of Europe and European Parliament noted concerns about the impartiality of state institutions.

"The uneven playing field... undermines trust in the outcome and explains the reactions to the election results," the statement read.

"These issues need to be addressed by the authorities," it added.

Analyst Gela Vasadze of the Georgian Strategic Analysis Centre said the Caucasus country was plunging "into political instability for an indefinite period" and that its EU hopes had "dimmed".

He said, however, that the opposition lacked "charismatic leaders who could channel popular anger into a protest wave capable of bringing about political change."

- 'Global war party' -

Georgia was gripped by mass demonstrations earlier this year against what the opposition saw as government attempts to curtail democratic freedoms and steer the country of four million off its pro-Western course and towards Russia's orbit.

In power since 2012, Georgian Dream initially pursued a liberal pro-Western policy agenda.

But it has reversed course over the last two years.

Its campaign centred on a conspiracy theory about a "global war party" that controls Western institutions and is seeking to drag Georgia into the Russia-Ukraine war.

In a country scarred by Russia's 2008 invasion, the party has offered voters bogeyman stories about an imminent threat of war, which only Georgian Dream could prevent.

Georgian Dream's controversial "foreign influence" law which targeted civil society sparked weeks of street protests and was criticised as a Kremlin-style measure to silence dissent.

The move prompted Brussels to freeze Georgia's EU accession process, while Washington imposed sanctions on dozens of Georgian officials.

The ruling party has also mounted a campaign against sexual minorities. It has adopted measures that ban LGBTQ "propaganda", nullify same-sex marriages conducted abroad, and outlaw gender reassignment.

Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are set to hold a press conference later Sunday afternoon to present their preliminary conclusions.

H.Jarrar--SF-PST