Georgian authorities say they have opened 47 cases of alleged election fraud and arrested two people accused of stuffing ballot boxes during the October 26 election as part of an investigation into accusations of widespread irregularities during the vote that prompted criticism from Georgia's Western partners that the Caucasus country was backsliding on democracy.
The Prosecutor's Office said the cases were opened in connection with "falsifying the election, influencing voters' will, violating ballot secrecy, obstructing of journalistic activities, violence and threats, damage and destruction of property."
The Interior Ministry said one of those arrested was Rovshan Iskandarov, 40, the deputy chairman of the city council of Marneuli, a city in southern Georgia where irregularities were reported at a polling station during the vote, prompting the suspension of the vote and the invalidation of all the ballots cast.
The other person's complete identity was not revealed, authorities naming him just as E.I., born in 1990.
During the vote, an RFE/RL correspondent reported an incident at a voting station in Marneuli where a member of an opposition party was allegedly beaten up by a representative of the ruling Georgian Dream party amid reports of ballot-stuffing.
Russian-friendly Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012, claimed victory, with preliminary official results showing that it garnered nearly 54 percent of the vote.
The opposition and pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, refused to recognize the validity of the results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference.
The European Union, NATO, and the United States have demanded a full investigation into reports of vote-buying, voter intimidation, and ballot stuffing raised by monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other election monitors.
Zurabishvili has called on the West to pressure the ruling Georgian Dream party to reexamine the results of the election, which was seen as a crucial test of Georgia's democratic credentials.
The Prosecutor-General's Office summoned Zurabishvili before prosecutors on October 31 as part of the investigation.
"President Salome Zurabishvili must have evidence of possible falsification of the 2024 parliamentary elections, in connection with which, in accordance with the procedure established by law, [she] was invited for questioning on October 31," the prosecution said in a statement.
Zurabishvili refused to comply with the summons, saying at a news conference on October 30 that prosecutors should focus on their duties rather than engaging in a political vendetta.
"I would advise the prosecutor's office to start its work and avoid political retribution against the president. Moreover, our partners are watching whether the prosecutor's office can be independent and impartial," Zurabishvili said.
The U.S. State Department on October 30 reiterated President Joe Biden's call for a thorough investigation of the alleged irregularities and warned that Washington's relationship with the current government of Georgia was being reconsidered.
"We have already suspended $95 million in assistance to the government of Georgia and other assistance that we provide remains under review," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a news briefing in Washington.