Georgia is voting in an election that could take it into the EU or into Russia’s orbit

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) – Georgians are heading to the polls on Saturday in what many citizens see as a make-or-break vote on whether to join the European Union.

The pre-election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people has been dominated by foreign policy and marked by vying for votes and allegations of an impeachment campaign. Some Georgians complain of intimidation and pressure to vote for the ruling party, Georgian Dream, while the opposition accuses the party of waging a “mixed war” against its citizens.

Ahead of the parliamentary elections, Bidzina Ivanishvili – the shadowy billionaire who founded the Georgian Dream and made his fortune in Russia – also vowed to shut down the opposition if his party won.

The Georgian Dream will make the opposition “fully accountable under the full law” for “war crimes” committed against the Georgian people, Ivanishvili said at a pro-government rally in the capital Tbilisi on Wednesday. He did not explain what crimes he believed the opposition parties had committed.

Georgians will elect 150 lawmakers from 18 parties. If no party wins the 76 seats needed to form a government for four years, the president will invite the largest party to form a coalition.

Many believe that elections can be the most important vote of their lives; will decide whether Georgia returns to the path of EU membership or accepts ratification and falls on the path of Russia.

“It’s an election,” said Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili.

Georgians want “European integration, they want to move forward and they want policies that will bring us a better, more stable future,” Christine Tordia, 29, told The Associated Press shortly after voting in the capital, Tbilisi.

About 80% of Georgians voted in favor of joining the EU and the country’s constitution obliges its leaders to pursue membership in that bloc and NATO.

But Brussels put Georgia’s bid to join the EU on hold after the ruling party passed a “Russian law” cracking down on freedom of expression in June. Many Georgians fear that the group is dragging the country into slavery and killing its hopes of joining the EU.

The opposition parties ignored Zourabichvili’s request to unite into one party but sign his “charter” to make the changes required by the EU to join.

Zourabichvili told the AP on Thursday that he believes the majority of Georgians will come together to vote “despite some instances of intimidation, despite the use of state resources … and the use of funds” by the government.

Georgian Dream took out billboards across the country that contrasted black-and-white images of the carnage in Ukraine with colorful images of Georgian life and the slogan, “Don’t agree to war — choose peace.”

The ruling and opposition parties have told voters that they will pursue EU membership even though the laws passed by the Georgian Dream put that hope on hold.

“The EU decided to stop Georgia’s integration process unilaterally,” said Vakhtang Asanidze, who spoke to AP at a pro-government rally in Tbilisi. He said he saw no reason why Georgia could not join the EU despite the rules.

At an EU summit last week, EU leaders said they had “grave concerns about the action taken by the Georgian government.”

While Georgian Dream adopted laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to silence critics, voters at the pro-government rally said they did not view the election as a choice between Russia or Europe.

“We remember everything about Russia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Latavra Dashniani said at the rally, referring to Russia’s annexation of 20% of Georgia’s territory after the two countries fought a brief war in 2008.

Voting for the ruling party, he said, would ensure that Georgia enters Europe “with dignity,” referring to its core values, including opposition to LGBTQ+ rights.

Voting opened in the parliamentary elections at 8 am local time and will close 12 hours later.

The Georgian Dream is opposed by three coalitions: Unity National Movement, Coalition for Changes Lelo, and Strong Georgia.

The Gakharia for Georgia group, founded by former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia, said it will not have an alliance with anyone but will support the opposition to form a government.

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Associated Press reporter Sophiko Megrelidze contributed to this report