Legitimacy Crisis: How Georgia’s Elections Were Rigged? - European Platform for Democratic Elections

Legitimacy Crisis: How Georgia’s Elections Were Rigged?

Georgia’s October 2024 parliamentary elections, which saw the ruling Georgian Dream party secure a fourth term, have sparked widespread domestic and international non-recognition due to credible allegations of systemic electoral fraud. With opposition parties boycotting parliament and protests erupting in Tbilisi and other main cities, the country faces a deepening legitimacy crisis. Observers report sophisticated manipulation tactics that altered the election outcome, undermining the will of a pro-European electorate. The European Parliament has responded by demanding a re-run of the elections under international supervision, EU sanctions against Georgia’s Prime Minister and top officials, and a shift in government policies to align with the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. These developments mark a critical juncture for Georgia’s democratic future.

About the author

Mariam Chikhladze is an independent international consultant specializing in democratic elections, civil society development, and parliamentary and political party strengthening. She has extensive experience with USAID’s governance programs in Georgia, managing the parliamentary support portfolios. She has also contributed to UNDP’s key legislative strengthening project. Previously, Mariam worked with the International Republican Institute (IRI) on programs in Georgia and Armenia and on behalf of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, facilitated the political parties’ pledge for election integrity in the 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia. Earlier in her career, she managed the grassroots empowerment program of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) in four regions of Georgia. Mariam Chikhladze holds a Master’s in Public Policy Analysis from the Bush School of Public Service and Government at Texas A&M University, awarded through the Fulbright Graduate Student Program. She also completed the Edmund Muskie Professional Fellowship at the Hudson Institute, in Washington, DC.

(December 10, 2024)

Georgia