US, EU call for probe after reports of Georgia election violations

Update US, EU call for probe after reports of Georgia election violations
In this photo taken from video, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, center, surrounded by opposition leaders speaks to the media after the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 28 October 2024
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US, EU call for probe after reports of Georgia election violations

US, EU call for probe after reports of Georgia election violations
  • Georgian Dream wins 54 percent of vote, electoral panel says
  • Opposition parties reject results, alleging violations

TBILISI: Georgia’s president called for protests on Monday following a disputed parliamentary election, and the United States and the European Union urged a full investigation into reports of violations in the voting.
The results, with almost all precincts counted, were a blow for pro-Western Georgians who had cast Saturday’s election as a choice between a ruling party that has deepened ties with Russia and an opposition aiming to fast-track integration with Europe.
Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said on Sunday they had registered incidents of vote-buying, voter intimidation, and ballot-stuffing that could have affected the outcome, but they stopped short of saying the election was rigged.
President Salome Zourabichvili urged people to take to the streets to protest against the results of the ballot, which the electoral commission said the ruling party had won.
In an address on Sunday, she referred to the result as a “Russian special operation.” She did not clarify what she meant by the term.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, of which Zourabichvili is a fierce critic, clinched nearly 54 percent of the vote, the commission said, as opposition parties contested the outcome and vote monitors reported significant violations.
Georgian media cited Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze as saying on Monday that the opposition was attempting to topple the “constitutional order” and that his government remained committed to European integration.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States joined calls from observers for a full probe.
“Going forward, we encourage Georgia’s political leaders to respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and address deficiencies in the electoral process together,” Blinken said in a statement.
Earlier, the European Union urged Georgia to swiftly and transparently investigate the alleged irregularities in the vote.
“The EU recalls that any legislation that undermines the fundamental rights and freedoms of Georgian citizens and runs counter to the values and principles upon which the EU is founded, must be repealed,” the European Commission said in a joint statement with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
President Zourabichvili, a former Georgian Dream ally who won the 2018 presidential vote as an independent, urged Georgians to protest in the center of the capital Tbilisi on Monday evening, to show the world “that we do not recognize these elections.”

EU Membership
For years, Georgia was one of the most pro-Western countries to emerge from the Soviet Union, with polls showing many Georgians disliking Russia for its support of two breakaway regions of their country.
Russia defeated Georgia in their brief war over the rebel province of South Ossetia in 2008.
The election result poses a challenge to the EU’s ambition to expand by bringing in more former Soviet states.

However Georgia’s prime minister said Monday that EU membership remained a priority for his party and that he expected a “reset” with Brussels.
“Our main foreign policy priority is, naturally, European integration. Everything will be done to achieve Georgia’s full integration into the EU by 2030,” Kobakhidze told a news conference, adding that he expects “a reset in relations” with the EU.
Moldova earlier this month narrowly approved adding a clause to the constitution defining EU accession as a goal. Moldovan officials said Russia meddled in the election, a claim denied by Moscow.


US neighbors balk at Trump plan for deported migrants

US neighbors balk at Trump plan for deported migrants
Updated 21 sec ago
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US neighbors balk at Trump plan for deported migrants

US neighbors balk at Trump plan for deported migrants

WASHINGTON: The Bahamas on Thursday said it had rejected a proposal from the incoming Trump administration to receive deported migrants, with Mexico and Panama also stressing they would only take back their own citizens.
Donald Trump’s team has drawn up a list of countries to which it wants to deport undocumented migrants when their home countries refuse to accept them, according to NBC News.
Sources told the television network that the countries that are being considered include the Bahamas, Grenada, Panama and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
But the Bahamas — an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean — said it had “reviewed and firmly rejected” the plan from the US president-elect, who campaigned for the White House on a pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants.
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis’s office said in a statement that his government had received a proposal from the Trump transition team “to accept deportation flights of migrants from other countries.”
“Since the Prime Minister’s rejection of this proposal, there has been no further engagement or discussions with the Trump transition team,” the statement added.
The Panamanian foreign ministry said it had received no such proposal from the Trump team, officially or unofficially.
“What is more, under international law we are under no obligation to take in deportees who are not Panamanian,” it said in a statement.
Panama wants to have good relations with the United States but “the foreign ministry believes clearly that our main mission is to protect the interests of Panama.”
The Turks and Caicos also said it would not accept deportees.
“Turks and Caicos, like all nations, has the sovereign right to determine who may reside within its borders,” Immigration Minister Arlington Musgrove told the Miami Herald.
“The unilateral imposition of third-country deportation policies, such as those reportedly under consideration by the incoming Trump administration, is fundamentally at odds with international norms and legal standards,” Musgrove told the newspaper.
Mexico’s new President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country has an agreement with the Biden administration under which non-Mexicans crossing into the United States from Mexico without papers are sent directly back to their countries of origin, and she hopes this will continue with Trump.
“Of course, we show solidarity with all people but our main function is to take in Mexicans and we hope to have an agreement with the Trump administration in case there are these deportations,” she said.
Trump’s team made no immediate comment Thursday on the proposal reported by NBC, which appeared to reveal one part of how the incoming president plans to enact radical migration reform when in office.
The deportation plan could mean that migrants are permanently displaced in countries to which they have no links.
It is not clear if the migrants would be allowed to work — or what pressure Trump may apply to get countries to agree, NBC said.
The US government has struggled for years to manage its southern border with Mexico, and Trump on the campaign trail targeted concerns by claiming a migrant “invasion” is underway.
At rallies, he repeatedly railed against undocumented immigrants, accusing them of rape and murder and attacking those who “poison the blood” of the United States.
He has vowed to tackle migrant gangs using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — which allows the federal government to round up and deport foreigners belonging to enemy countries.
Trump also promoted the fictitious story that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents’ pets.
The incoming president last month said he was bringing back hard-line immigration official Tom Homan to oversee the country’s borders.
Homan led immigration enforcement during part of Trump’s first administration.
A British plan to deport its asylum seekers to Rwanda was dropped earlier this year when the Labour Party took power under Keir Starmer after ousting the Conservatives.


Russia denies interfering in Romania elections

Russia denies interfering in Romania elections
Updated 10 min 2 sec ago
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Russia denies interfering in Romania elections

Russia denies interfering in Romania elections

MOSCOW: Russia denied on Thursday it was interfering in Romania’s elections, as the EU member geared up for the second round of a presidential vote that could see a pro-Russian candidate win.
Far-right contender Calin Georgescu unexpectedly topped the ballot in the first round of voting last month, shocking Bucharest’s NATO allies and prompting accusations of Kremlin interference from Romanian authorities.
“The campaign for the Romanian presidential election... is accompanied by an unprecedented outburst of anti-Russian hysteria,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said of the allegations.
“More and more absurd accusations are being made by local politicians, officials and media representatives...,” she added.
“We firmly reject all hostile attacks, which we consider absolutely groundless.”
The European Commission said Thursday it had stepped up its monitoring of TikTok in the context of Romania’s elections, after receiving information about possible Russian interference.
Georgescu’s nationalist discourse has hit a mark on social media, particularly on TikTok, where his videos have racked up millions of views.
The second round of the vote will be held Sunday, where Georgescu will face centrist mayor Elena Lasconi.


Fresh protests in Georgia after PM vows to ‘eradicate’ opposition

Fresh protests in Georgia after PM vows to ‘eradicate’ opposition
Updated 16 min 8 sec ago
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Fresh protests in Georgia after PM vows to ‘eradicate’ opposition

Fresh protests in Georgia after PM vows to ‘eradicate’ opposition

TBILISI: Thousands of people rallied across Georgia on Thursday for a second week of pro-EU protests, after the prime minister threatened to “eradicate” the country’s “liberal-fascist” opposition.
Tbilisi has been rocked by turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party, which critics accuse of creeping authoritarianism and leading the country back toward Russia, claimed victory in a disputed election in October.
The government said last Thursday that it would suspend EU membership talks until 2028, sparking a fresh wave of demonstrations that have been met with a heavy-handed response from authorities.
As protesters took to the streets for the eighth consecutive night, there was no clear way out of the crisis, with the government escalating its feud with the opposition and demonstrations reported in several cities.
In the capital, Tbilisi, turnout was lower than in the previous days but while some worried the movement might be losing steam, most of those in attendance were upbeat.
“This government has to change as they just don’t care about us, about future generations,” said Mano, a 23-year-old who declined to give her full name and was among thousands that gathered outside parliament.
As on previous nights, some demonstrators banged on the metal barriers blocking the parliament’s entrance, waved EU flags and loudly blew horns and whistles.
Some held signs reading “your repression will finish you” as a green laser beam projected a hand in a v-for-victory sign on the building facade, an AFP reporter witnessed.
Ucha, a 42-year-old doctor who also gave only his first name, said it was normal for numbers to dwindle — noting he had not seen his children in a week, having come to protest every day after work.
“Of course we are a little bit tired,” he said. “We need a little rest, and then we will be back again.” Others said they expected numbers to pick up again at the weekend.
Protests were also held in cities including Batumi, Zugdidi, and Kutaisi, local media reported.
Video footage shared on social media showed a teenager in the latter city lying on the ground, semi-conscious, as protesters accused the police of using excessive force against him.
The interior ministry said five people were arrested in Tbilisi and Kutaisi’s Imereti region.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down, saying earlier the government would “do everything necessary to completely eradicate liberal fascism in Georgia.”
“This process has already begun,” he told reporters, using language reminiscent of that used by the Kremlin in Russia to target its political opponents.
Masked police raided several opposition party offices and arrested opposition leaders, while around 300 people have been detained over the last week.
Rights ombudsman Levan Ioseliani has accused the police of “torture” against those arrested, saying on Thursday 191 protesters detained over the past week had reported mistreatment in custody, with 138 showing visible injuries.
Opposition leader Nika Gvaramia of the Akhali party was beaten during a police raid Wednesday, with television footage showing him, apparently unconscious, being carried away by masked security forces.
Another detained opposition politician, Alexandre Elisashvili, was hospitalized with “serious injuries” he allegedly sustained in custody, his Strong Georgia opposition alliance said.
The United States and other countries have denounced Georgia’s crackdown, with Washington threatening additional sanctions against the country’s leaders.
Critics of the government are enraged by what they call its betrayal of Georgia’s bid for EU membership, which is enshrined in its constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population.
Several ambassadors, a deputy foreign minister, and other officials have resigned over the decision to suspend EU accession talks
The protests have drawn comparisons with the 2014 pro-EU revolution in Ukraine that ousted a Moscow-backed president.
Announcing sanctions against Georgia’s leadership in a video message on Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Kobakhidze and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely seen as the country’s de facto leader, for “handing Georgia over to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”


Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak

Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak
Updated 05 December 2024
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Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak

Weather hampers search for 3 climbers missing on New Zealand’s highest peak

WELLINGTON: New Zealand authorities have “grave concerns” for three mountain climbers from the US and Canada who are missing after a planned ascent of the country’s highest peak, Aoraki, as efforts to find them stalled for a third day amid bad weather.

Strong winds meant an aerial search for the men could not resume as anticipated on Thursday, Police Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said in a statement.

The Americans — Kurt Blair, 56, from Colorado and Carlos Romero, 50, of California — are certified alpine guides, according to the website of the nonprofit American Mountain Guides Association. New Zealand authorities have not named the Canadian climber at the request of his family.

The men flew to a hut partway up the mountain on Saturday to begin their ascent and were reported missing on Monday when they did not arrive to meet their prearranged transport after the climb. Searchers hours later found several climbing-related items believed to belong to the men, but no sign of them, police said.

The search for the men stalled on Tuesday and Wednesday due to deteriorating weather conditions on Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, with heavy rain and snow forecast. 

Walker earlier hoped efforts would resume Thursday but said conditions on the day were unsafe.

Aoraki is 3,724 meters high and is part of the Southern Alps, the scenic and icy mountain range that runs the length of New Zealand’s South Island.


Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’

Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’
Updated 05 December 2024
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Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’

Namibia’s first woman president ‘breaks glass ceiling’

JOHANNESBURG: Namibia’s first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on Thursday said her victory in a disputed vote last week had broken a “glass ceiling.”

The vice president secured just past 57 percent of the vote, well ahead of the candidate for the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change on 25.5 percent, the election authority announced on Tuesday.

Yet the IPC has said it did not recognize the vote, pointing to a “multitude of irregularities.”

“As a woman, I’m the first to admit that my election to the highest office in the land is definitely one that is breaking the glass ceiling for a Namibian woman,” she told reporters at her first briefing since her victory’s announcement.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became the first woman to rule the mineral-rich nation, governed by her South West Africa People’s Organization party since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

In her address, Namibia’s new leader praised Liberia’s former head of state Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who in 2006 became the first woman president on the African continent, for being “the one who really led the way.”

“And for me, it’s just to reaffirm that equal responsibility of women and men in society is a reality,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, a SWAPO stalwart known by her initials NNN, will be among Africa’s few women leaders.

The conservative daughter of an Anglican pastor, she assumed the role of vice president in February this year.