Protests in Georgia over disputed vote as PM threatens to ban opposition

US and EU have called for investigation into alleged irregularities in pro-Russia ruling party’s election victory

Georgians protested on Saturday as the poll commission rubber-stamped the ruling party’s victory in a contested parliamentary vote marked by claims of Russian meddling and western calls to investigate fraud allegations.

The Caucasus nation’s pro-western opposition has denounced the 26 October vote as “fraudulent”, while the EU and the US have called for an investigation into alleged electoral “irregularities”.