Georgia election chief doused in paint as protests continue after divisive parliamentary vote

Protesters clash in Tbilisi over Georgian Dream party's election win, sparking accusations of rigging and foreign influence.

The head of Georgia's Central Electoral Commission was doused with black paint Saturday (November 16, 2024) at a meeting to confirm the results of the country's divisive October 26 parliamentary elections.

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

Opposition supporters have rejected the results amid allegations that the vote was rigged, an accusation that Georgian Dream denies.

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

Before the incident, Mr. Kirtadze told Kalandarishvili that the official results of the vote did not reflect voters' “true choice.”

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

When the meeting resumed, Mr. Kalandarishvili was seen with a bandaged eye.