If Georgian Dream stays its course, we can't consider them a democratic partner, expert says

Georgia 's parliamentary elections on Oct. 26 were presented as a choice between a creeping authoritarianism and a drift into the Kremlin 's orbit.

A group of pro-European parties hoped to unseat the Georgian Dream , a party led by a controversial oligarch with business ties in Russia , which has been in power since 2012 .

Laura Thornton believes that the level of irregularities in this election was unprecedented.

Thornton estimates the chances of overturning the vote as "slim".

Laura Thornton : There's a very politicized adjudication process in Georgia , both through the CEC (Central Election Commission) and through the courts.

The head of the Central Election Commission was not appointed through legal procedure because he or she was supposed to be appointed by a two-thirds majority of the parliament.

"This is a sign of democratic backsliding, and we expect to see massive change," she says.

Laura Thornton : It's very difficult to know the role of Russian special services in Georgia .

She says it's important to note that the Georgian Dream and Kremlin campaign messages were exactly the same.

The majority of people employed in Georgia are employed by the state, she says.