### Georgian President Calls for Mass Protests Over Alleged Election Fraud

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has urged citizens to protest in response to what she claims was extensive fraud by the ruling party in Saturday’s nationwide election. Speaking alongside opposition leaders, Zourabichvili declared the election results unacceptable, viewing them as a step towards Georgia’s subordination to Russia. She has called for a mass gathering outside the country's parliament at 7 p.m. on Monday to contest the results.

Zourabichvili accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of orchestrating a "Russian election," thus robbing citizens of their democratic rights. Preliminary results showed Georgian Dream leading with 53 percent of the vote against the opposition bloc's 38 percent. Voting day was marred by violence at several polling stations, and observers, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), noted issues such as vote-buying and an imbalanced financial landscape.

The National Democratic Institute reported threats, harassment, and violence affecting voters and political activists in the pre-election period. Georgian Prime Minister disputed the allegations, insisting that any irregularities were minor and did not compromise the integrity of the election. The results allow Georgian Dream to form a government independently.

Opposition groups, however, have declared the results fraudulent and vowed not to take up their parliamentary seats. Tina Bokuchava, from the United National Movement party, called for a fresh election, while other opposition leaders refrained from endorsing her demand.

The election is seen as crucial for Georgia’s ambitions to join the European Union, which critics believe could be jeopardized by the government's authoritarian tendencies and Russian affiliations. The current administration's actions, including passing laws branding Western-backed initiatives as "foreign agents" and restricting references to the LGBTQ+ community, have drawn international criticism.

European and Canadian politicians have declared the election "neither free nor fair," stating that the EU cannot recognize the results. In contrast, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated Georgian Dream on their victory. The situation has drawn stern responses from European Council President Charles Michel and other EU leaders, who demand thorough investigations into the alleged irregularities.

As protests are set to begin, Georgia faces a pivotal moment that will shape its future relations with the West and its internal democratic processes.