First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva made a post on her social media …
Day: October 29, 2024
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The Daily Beat: 28 October
Following the President’s Sunday call to gather in front of the parliament, thousands took to the streets to denounce the October 26 election results, which officially gave victory to the ruling Georgian Dream party. President Zurabishvili addressed the crowd and said, “You did not lose the elections! Your votes were stolen!” She vowed to the people to fight until the country reaches Europe, its “true reality and future.”
President Salome Zurabishvili conducted a series of interviews with 17 different European and U.S. media outlets, discussing the disputed elections and the electoral landscape. Media outlets she spoke with include BBC, CNN International, LCI, DW News, Reuters, Le Point, Liberation, EURACTIV, Sky News, AP News, Rai, AFP, DPA, Swiss Radio, France Info, TVP, and Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland.
“My Vote,” a local observer mission uniting dozens of Georgian civil society organizations, uncovered an election fraud scheme and called for the investigation and annulment of more than 300,000 votes. Londa Toloraia, a spokesperson for the mission, explained the fraud scheme at a briefing, stressing that other multiple methods of election rigging were also applied to influence the election results.
Georgian opposition parties and local election monitoring groups also say that they are working to gather evidence of a large-scale rigging scheme that allegedly led to the shock victory of the ruling Georgian Dream party in October’s parliamentary elections.
28 EU Ministers made a joint statement on the Parliamentary elections in Georgia, expressing deep concern about the current situation in Georgia and demanding an impartial inquiry into complaints regarding the election violations. EU Ministers stressed that “the violations of electoral integrity are incompatible with the standards expected from a candidate to the European Union. They are a betrayal of the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspiration.”
On October 27, the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken issued a statement on the parliamentary elections in Georgia, condemning “all contraventions of international norms” and joining the “calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations.” “We condemn all contraventions of international norms and join calls from international and local observers for a full investigation of all reports of election-related violations,” stressed Secretary Blinken.
U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Jim Risch (R-ID) released a joint statement in response to the elections in Georgia. The statement urges the Georgian authorities to uphold the right of its citizens to protest peacefully. It also indicates that, if needed, further amendments can be made to the bipartisan legislation known as the Georgian People’s Act to hold accountable those responsible for fraud and manipulation in the election process.
On October 27, the Foreign Ministries of Latvia and Lithuania issued statements on the Georgian parliamentary elections, both questioning the electoral process. The Latvian Foreign Ministry calls for an investigation of all violations noted by local and international observers, while the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry finds it difficult to generally recognize these elections as free and fair.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili defended the ruling Georgian Dream party’s highly controversial nearly 54 percent victory in the October 26 elections, denying allegations of fraud by opposition and observers. At the October 28 briefing, he accused opposition forces and civil society organizations of trying to stir unrest in the country through disinformation campaigns. “They don’t want to accept people’s will,” he said.
As climate change poses a significant challenge globally, governments are increasingly prioritizing the transition to renewable energy resources. Azerbaijan is no exception, recognizing that sustainable energy initiatives not only address environmental concerns but also bolster economic growth and create employment opportunities.
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