TBILISI, Georgia — The leader of Georgia’s Central Electoral Commission was subject to a paint attack during a meeting held to validate the outcomes of a contentious parliamentary election that took place on October 26.
Protesters gathered outside the Tbilisi headquarters of the commission as officials declared that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, had secured 53.93% of the votes cast.

Opposition figures have dismissed these results, claiming widespread electoral fraud, a charge denied by the Georgian Dream party.
The meeting was disrupted when David Kirtadze, an opposition member from the United National Movement party, splashed black paint on the commission’s chair, Giorgi Kalandarishvili.
Just prior to this act, Kirtadze expressed that the official election results did not represent the “true choice” of the voters.

In reply to the incident, Kalandarishvili indicated that actions involving “pressure, bullying, and personal insults” were evidence that no vote-rigging had occurred.
After the session resumed, Kalandarishvili was seen with an injury to his eye, covered by a bandage.
He asserted to the audience that “there is no tangible proof indicating that the elections were manipulated.”

European observers noted that the parliamentary elections unfolded in a “divisive” climate, citing occurrences of bribery, double voting, and even violence.
Many Georgians considered the elections to be a crucial referendum on the nation’s ambition to join the European Union. However, in June, Georgia’s membership application was put on hold indefinitely after the parliament passed a “foreign influence law,” which critics argue echoes oppressive measures seen in Russia against civil society.

Critics of the Georgian Dream, a party founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili—who gained wealth in Russia—accuse it of increasingly authoritarian behavior and alignment with Moscow’s interests.
Recent legislation resembling that of the Kremlin has raised concerns regarding freedom of expression and LGBTQ+ rights in the country.

President Salome Zourabichvili, who has publicly disputed the official election results, asserts that Georgia is under pressure from Moscow which hampers its chances of joining the European Union.
Although Zourabichvili’s role is largely ceremonial, she has called on both the United States and the EU to lend their support to the ongoing protests.

Meanwhile, officials from Washington and Brussels have advocated for a thorough investigation into the electoral process, while the Kremlin denies any claims of interference.