Tens of thousands of Georgians flooded on to the streets of Tbilisi to protest against the results of the weekend parliamentary election that their president, Salome Zourabichvili, has claimed fell victim to a “Russian special operation” aimed at frustrating the widespread popular consensus that Georgia should pursue its aspiration to join the European Union.

Amid widespread reports of electoral irregularities and voter intimidation, the ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), seen by opponents as ready to do Moscow’s bidding to stay in power, was officially declared the clear winner of the election with 54% of the vote.

Protesters on the evening of October 28 gathered outside the parliament in the city centre for a demonstration organised by the country’s pro-Western opposition. It has refused to concede defeat and has accused GD of brazen election rigging.

Zourabichvili told the gathering crowd: “They stole your vote and tried to steal your future. But no one has the right to do that, and you will not allow it.”

Many in the crowd were waving EU and Georgian flags.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, also seen as close to Moscow and who was among the first to congratulate GD on their election victory, was, meanwhile, booed by a group of Georgians when he appeared outside the Tbilisi Marriott hotel near the demonstration. It is expected that Orban will be hosted by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze tomorrow.

Earlier on October 28, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov categorically denied Moscow’s involvement in the Georgian election. He suggested that there was actually Western interference in this crucial crossroads in Georgian domestic affairs.

“We strongly reject these accusations. There was no intervention. These accusations are completely unsubstantiated,” Peskov told reporters.

Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonyan, chief editor of the state-funded media outlets RT and Sputnik, sent a celebratory message to Georgia, tweeting: “Georgians won! Well done.”

Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili criticised Western interference in Georgia’s sovereignty, saying the opposition was using “propaganda from outside the country” and was relying on foreign support as a “lifeline”.

In a joint statement, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the European Commission urged Georgian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into the reports of irregularities in the election to restore public trust in the electoral system.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Georgian authorities to thoroughly investigate reports of irregularities and uphold the integrity of the electoral process.

Former Georgian Dream PM Giorgi Gakharia, now the leader of the opposition party For Georgia, joined other opposition leaders in demanding “free, fair, and democratic elections.” Speaking to journalists during a protest, Gakharia affirmed his commitment to electoral reform, highlighting the need for a transparent investigation into the alleged election fraud.