EU calls for 'calm and restraint' after Georgia vote

The European Union on Sunday called on authorities in Georgia to ensure the right to protest, after the government accused opposition movements of trying to launch a coup during controversial elections.  "We urge calm and restraint in the post-election period and call on the authorities to uphold citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression," the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said in a joint statement.

Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze vowed opposition arrests Sunday after police used force against protesters who tried to enter the presidential palace in what he termed was a coup bid during the municipal elections.

"We call on every side to refrain from violence," the EU commissioners said.

Saturday's polls were the ruling populist Georgian Dream party's first electoral test since a disputed parliamentary vote a year ago plunged the Black Sea nation into turmoil and prompted Brussels to effectively freeze the EU-candidate country's accession bid.

The central election commission said Georgian Dream had secured municipal council majorities in every municipality and that its candidates scored landslide wins in mayoral races in all cities. Most opposition parties had boycotted the vote.

"Months of raids on independent media, the passing of laws targeting civil society, the jailing of opponents and activists or amendments to the electoral code favouring the ruling party,  drastically reduced the possibility of having competitive elections," the EU statement said.

It said the refusal to allow in international monitors had "undermined the transparency of the electoral process and prevented credible international monitoring".