Pro-European opposition contests the results that give victory to the ruling party in Georgia

The ruling Georgian Dream party won an outright majority victory in parliament in elections held this weekend. Georgian Dream, a nationalist party with a social democratic slant, has been accused on several occasions of being too close to Russia.

Against it, an opposition of more pro-European parties has only managed to get 37% of the vote, which is insufficient to carry weight in the Georgian unicameral system, in which Georgian Dream will hold 54% of the parliamentary seats after the votes are counted.

Georgian Dream was harshly criticized and was the target of street protests after passing a "Foreign Agents" law, which prosecutes some forms of domestic political opposition. The law was accused of emulating counterpart legislation in Russia that has the same objective.

Such legislation generated division in the country. Following episodes of protests over the summer, several dozen protesters, including two Americans, were arrested.

Faced with the result at the polls, the opposition, composed of four pro-European formations led by the United National Movement (UNM), has called to contest the ballot. "We do not recognize the fake results of a stolen election," Tina Bokuchava, leader of the party, told a press conference.

Akhali party leader Nika Gvaramia also claimed there was "a usurpation of power and a constitutional coup" by the government. "Georgian Dream will not remain in power," he added.

According to AFP, an exit poll conducted by U.S. institute Edison Research for a pro-opposition television network estimated that the pro-European coalition had won 51.9% of the vote.

The president of the country, Salome Zurabishvili, who tried unsuccessfully to veto several laws passed by the government, assured on the basis of this poll that the opposition alliance won "with 52% of the votes, in spite of the attempts to manipulate the ballot."