Georgian Dream Party leads after preliminary vote count
The ruling Georgian Dream party won 53.6% of the vote after preliminary counts from 80% of polling stations.
According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission of Georgia, 58.94% of voters went to polling stations.
More than 2 million people have voted. After preliminary ballots from nearly 80% of polling stations were counted, the ruling Georgian Dream party is leading with 53.6% of the vote. It is likely to receive a majority of seats in the parliament. Meanwhile, the opposition coalition received only 38.2% of the vote.
Notably, both the ruling and opposition parties have declared victory, while the results of post-election polls are contradictory.
Georgian Dream and the party leadership gathered at the main office, congratulating each other. Then there were even fireworks, and rows of honking cars with Georgian and Dream party flags began to drive through the streets of Tbilisi.
“The opponents are not lagging behind. Europe won, Georgia won. The opposition won!” said Tina Bokuchava, Chairwoman of the opposition coalition Solidarity – National Movement.
Observers said the election was generally peaceful, with no major incidents. The street riots that some experts had predicted did not begin.
However, security remains in place. There are large numbers of police on the streets of Tbilisi, and special forces have been deployed around the government buildings complex.
According to RIA Novosti, many opinions say that things can change. Opposition parties including the Solidarity-National Movement coalition, the Alliance for Change, and Georgia strongly stated that they will not recognize the election results. Protests are expected to begin on October 27.