David Kezerashvili

Georgia has been plunged into a fresh political crisis after the country’s president Salome Zourabichvili accused the Moscow-leaning government of rigging parliamentary elections to secure a fourth successive term in office. The October 26 ballot was billed by many as a stark choice between a future within the European Union (E.U.) or a retreat into the Russian fold.

Next week, the Georgian people will cast their votes in a watershed election which will be watched closely in Washington, Moscow, Brussels and beyond. It is nothing short of a referendum on the democratic future of this proud country, which has existed under the shadow of Russia for too long. As the October 26 election day edges ever closer, the Kremlin-backed Georgian Dream party continue to wield every tool in their armoury to subvert the democratic process.

The international community has been justifiably appalled. The European Union – which granted Georgia candidacy status last year despite serious misgivings - strongly condemned the measures, calling for sanctions to be imposed on those behind it including Bidzina Ivanishvili. The EU parliament resolution stressed that the bill would “impose debilitating restrictions on civil society and independent media and thereby undermine the possibility of their operating freely”.