Kremlin says Russia rejects allegations of interference in Georgia’s parliamentary election

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) — The Kremlin on Monday said that Russia “resolutely” rejected allegations claiming that Moscow had interfered in the parliamentary election held in neighboring Georgia over the weekend.

“We resolutely reject such accusations. This has become standard for many countries, and, at the slightest thing, they immediately accuse Russia of interference. No, that is not true, there was no interference, and the accusations are absolutely unfounded,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Arguing that attempts are being made to destabilize the situation in Georgia, Peskov said that such attempts are “visible to the naked eye, but (are) not from Russia.”

“A huge number of forces from European countries, from various European institutions tried to influence the outcome of the vote. No one even hid, these were public statements,” he said.

Peskov went on to say that Russia does not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs and does not intend to do so.

During an address in Tbilisi late Sunday, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili announced that she did not recognize the results of the parliamentary election held in the country, claiming they were witnesses to a “Russian special operation.”

“As the last independent institution in this country, I must clearly state that I do not recognize these elections. Recognizing them would be tantamount to legitimizing Russia’s takeover of Georgia,” Zourabichvili said.

The EU and the US have both called for a probe regarding the vote over allegations of electoral irregularities.

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party won about 54% percent of the vote in Saturday’s parliamentary election, according to the country’s electoral authority, with its closest competitors, the Coalition for Change and Unity–National Movement, receiving 11% and 10.1% of the vote, respectively.

Opposition parties have rejected the election results, with the Coalition for Change calling them "stolen elections and a constitutional coup."

Georgian Dream officials have hailed the results of the election, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the party's honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili.