DISINFO: Like always the West organised a new colour revolution
SUMMARY
It is difficult to know the exact situation in Georgia the day after the election without being there. However, a familiar pattern seems to be emerging. In countries important to the West, such as Moldova and Venezuela, skewed polls often predict a pro-Western victory. If the actual election results do not favour the pro-American or European camp, claims of manipulation and fraud are made.
Following the elections, various demonstrations are organised to pressure the government to resign. This is exactly what is happening in Georgia. As for the outcome, that remains uncertain.
RESPONSE
A pro-Kremlin narrative linking the Georgian electoral process to a generic 'colour revolution' scenario.
This claim is an attempt to discredit protests and justify repressive measures against them following the parliamentary elections that took place in Georgia on October 26, 2024. The 2024 Parliamentary elections in Georgia were marked by serious irregularities and alleged large-scale fraud schemes, which led to many, including the President of Georgia, the opposition and civil society organizations, rejecting the official results. Violations noted by local and international observers contain a pre-election climate of fear and intimidation of civil society, including the passage of the Foreign Agents Law, reports of vote-buying, violations of voter privacy, physical altercations, and controversial changes to election administration rules prior to the vote. See also the Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission on the Parliamentary elections.
The human rights organisation Amnesty International has previously accused Georgia’s police of excessive use of force against overwhelmingly peaceful protesters.
Pro-Kremlin outlets frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as "colour revolutions" instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.
Read also EUvsDisinfo's articles on “Georgia: Resilience in action” and “Georgia: The next colour revolution?”
Read also related stories such as: West want to start a colour revolution in Georgia and use it against Russia, or USAID attempted 2024 coup in Georgia, or The US is preparing a colour revolution in Georgia.