Georgia's president accuses Russia of election interference and seeks Western support for protests

Georgia's president, Salome Zourabichvili, has accused Russia of interfering in the recent parliamentary elections, where the ruling party, Georgian Dream, was declared the winner amid claims of voting irregularities. She called for Western support for opposition protests against the results. Zourabichvili stated that Russian propaganda influenced the election and urged the U.S. and EU to back the demonstrations. The Central Election Commission reported Georgian Dream received 54.8% of the votes, but the election was marred by allegations of intimidation and vote-buying. The Kremlin denied any interference, claiming the West was attempting to influence the election. The EU has suspended Georgia's membership application process due to concerns over a new law seen as promoting Russian influence.