TBILISI, Georgia, Oct 28, (AP): Georgia’s president said Sunday she did not recognize the results of this weekend’s parliamentary vote, which election officials say was won by the ruling party, adding that the country fell victim to a "Russian special operation” aimed at moving it off a path toward Europe. Standing alongside opposition leaders, President Salome Zourabichvili urged Georgians to rally Monday night on Tbilisi’s main street to protest what she called a "total falsification, a total stealing of your votes,” raising the prospect of further political turmoil in the South Caucasus nation.

She spoke the day after an election that could decide whether Georgia embraces Europe or falls under the sway of Russia. "This election cannot be recognized, because it is the recognition of Russia’s intrusion here, Georgia’s subordination to Russia,” Zourabichvili said. The Central Election Commission said Sunday that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, got 54.8% of Saturday’s vote with almost all ballots counted. Georgian Dream has become increasingly authoritarian over the past year, adopting laws similar to those used by Russia to crack down on speech.

Brussels suspended Georgia’s EU membership process indefinitely because of a Russian-style "foreign influence law,” passed in June. Many Georgians viewed Saturday’s vote as a referendum on the opportunity to join the European Union. The election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people, which borders Russia, was dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear campaign. Zourabichvili suggested "Russian elections” were held in the country, and said "technology was used to whitewash counterfeiting. Such a thing has never happened before.” European electoral observers said the election took place in a "divisive” environment marked by intimidation and instances of vote buying, double voting and physical violence.