Hungary's Orbán boosts Georgia's ruling party over election despite an outcry the vote was rigged

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave a boost Tuesday to Georgia’s ruling party, saying its victory in a parliamentary election in the South Caucasus nation was free and democratic despite a massive opposition protest that denounced the vote as rigged and illegitimate.

Orbán, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest partner in the European Union, is the first foreign leader to visit Georgia following Saturday's vote that the country's electoral commission said was won by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Georgia's president and opposition said the election was “stolen” with the help of Russia, claiming there was widespread ballot fraud and violence, with the EU and the U.S. calling for a full investigation.

But Orbán gave a different assessment after meeting with his counterpart, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, and congratulating him on the victory by his Georgian Dream party.