Partial Recount in Georgia Election Confirms Ruling Party Victory: Electoral Commission

A partial ballot recount in Georgia's contested parliamentary election confirmed the ruling party won, electoral officials said Thursday, after opposition parties alleged violations and Washington and Brussels demanded an investigation. Georgia plunged into political uncertainty following Saturday's election as the pro-Western opposition said the vote was "stolen" by the ruling Georgian Dream party and refused to recognise its results.

Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili -- at loggerheads with the governing party -- has declared the election results "illegitimate", alleging election interference by a "Russian special operation". The central election commission told AFP that the recount at some 12 percent of polling stations, involving 14 percent of the vote, "didn't lead to a significant change to previously announced official results".

"Final tallies only slightly changed at some nine percent of recounted polling stations," a spokeswoman said. Tens of thousands took to the streets on Monday to protest against alleged fraud. International observers, the European Union and the United States have denounced electoral irregularities and demanded a full investigation.

Georgia's interior ministry said two were arrested following alleged ballot stuffing at a provincial polling station, while prosecutors said they had opened 47 criminal cases over alleged electoral violations. On Wednesday, Georgian prosecutors said they had summoned Zurabishvili for questioning, because she "is believed to possess evidence regarding possible falsification".

But the figurehead president refused the summons, saying that plenty of evidence of electoral fraud was already available and prosecutors should focus on their investigation and "stop political score-settling with the president". Opposition parties have said they will not enter the new "illegitimate" parliament and demanded "fresh" elections.

Brussels had warned prior to the elections that it would be a crucial test for EU-candidate Tbilisi's fledgling democracy and determine its chances of joining the bloc. The European Commission warned in a report published Wednesday that it could not recommend opening membership talks "unless Georgia reverts the current course of action which jeopardises its EU path".