During his visit to Tbilisi on October 29, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated the Russia-friendly Georgian Dream party for its controversial election victory and for not allowing Georgia to become the “second Ukraine”.

“In the context of the desire to integrate into Europe, I would like to congratulate you for not allowing your country to turn into a second Ukraine,” Orban said at the press conference. he said. Georgian his counterpart Irakli Kobakhidze.

His words echoed the ruling Georgian Dream party’s campaign slogan of “peace party” and presented the destruction of Ukrainian cities by occupying Russian forces as something they could prevent by moving closer to Moscow.

The ruling party also tried to portray the possible victory of the pro-European opposition as a route to war with Russia. Moscow declared war on Georgia in 2008 and continues to occupy two of Georgia’s regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Orban was among the first leaders to go to Tbilisi to congratulate. international observersOpposition politicians and the country’s president are shouting abuse at the ruling party, accusing it of rigging the vote.

Although some exit polls showed that the pro-European opposition coalition would win the parliamentary elections on October 26, the ruling Georgian Dream party received 54.08 percent of the votes, while the four pro-European opposition parties received only 37.58 percent.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili refused to accept the results, while the US and the EU called for a new decision. investigation Following reports of intimidation and irregularities during the election process.

Orban’s convoy booed He arrived at his hotel as thousands of Georgians took to the streets of downtown Tbilisi to protest the result. The Hungarian prime minister is one of the Georgian Dream’s closest European allies and a vocal critic of aid to Ukraine.

Georgians take to the streets to protest pro-Russian party being crowned election winner amid widespread fraud

Georgia was plunged into political turmoil that would shape the country for years to come. Although exit polls show that the pro-European opposition coalition will win the October 26 parliamentary elections, official results paint a different picture. The Central Election Commission announces…