TBILISI – Student groups in the Caucasus nation of Georgia united in a manifesto condemning the disputed October 26 parliamentary elections – which gave the Russia-friendly Georgian Dream party the victory – as anti-government groups vowed a "disobedience campaign" in central Tbilisi for the next 24 hours. The November 17 manifesto stated that the government's “systematic rigging of elections reveals a gross attempt by the Georgian Dream party to seize control of the state." "We are not going to give up the freedom of our country.
As citizens of Georgia, we remain committed to democratic values and state interests,” it read. “We do not recognize the elections and the parliament seated according to the results of these elections..
.and are ready to fight for the freedom of ourselves and our country!” The manifesto also cited what it said were attacks on the educational system through “discriminatory and selective decisions in the process of granting” entry to educational institutions and “the imposition of censorship on the part of the teaching.” “In light of repressive actions enforcing 'Russian' and censorship laws and other rights and freedoms, the fact of systematic rigging of elections reveals a gross attempt by the Georgian Dream [party] to seize the state," the manifesto stated.
It was signed by 13 groups, including students from at least 13 Georgian universities. Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 validated the results of .
