Georgia parliamentary polls: Election chief doused in black paint as opposition alleges rigging. Watch

Head of Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) Giorgi Kalandarishvili on Saturday (Nov 16) was drenched in black paint after Georgian opposition politician Davit Kirtadze threw it at him during a meeting as he was about to validate results of parliamentary elections held last month.

The elections have led to weeks of protests by the opposition amid accusations of widespread fraud and Russian interference.

The protesters gathered outside the commission's building in Tbilisi, where officials announced that the ruling Georgian Dream party had won 53.93 per cent of the vote.

Black ruZZian….

Georgian oppositionist David Kirtadze poured black paint on the head of the country's Central Election Commission, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, accusing him of falsifying the elections and of selling out to ruZZia.
pic.twitter.com/zgZ3cA1Q6w — Claretta Nijhuis (@NijhuisClaretta) November 16, 2024

The opposition supporters have called the vote 'rigged' and have rejected the results. However, the Georgian Dream denied the accusation.

The session on Saturday was interrupted when Kirtadze, a commission member from the opposition United National Movement party, threw black paint at Kalandarishvili.

Prior to that, the opposition member told the CEC that the official results of the vote did not reflect voters’ “true choice”.

However, Kalandarishvili responded by saying that the use of “pressure, bullying, and personal insults” proved that there was no evidence of vote rigging.

Later, as the meeting resumed, Kalandarishvili was seen with a bandaged eye.

Watch |Georgia: Thousands Of Opposition Supporters Protest Outside Parliament

“It once again becomes evident that there is no tangible proof indicating that the elections were manipulated,” he told the audience.

Moreover, many Georgians saw the vote as a pivotal referendum on the country's effort to join the European Union.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili also rejected the official results and said that Tbilisi has fallen victim to pressure from Moscow against joining the EU.

Following this, the officials in the United States, and Belgium asked for a full investigation of the elections.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin rejected the accusations of interference.

The Georgian Central Electoral Commission on Saturday said that the Russia-friendly Georgian Dream party won 53.93 per cent of the vote, against 37.79 per cent garnered by an alliance of pro-Western opposition parties.

(With inputs from agencies)