The Georgian dream won 48.1 percent of the vote in Saturday’s vote, the central election commission said after adding up more than 99 percent of the votes cast. According to the commission, the opposition United National Movement is in second place with 27.1 percent of the vote, Reuters reported today.
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The opposition disagrees with the preliminary results, which, according to her, do not correspond to reality, and called its supporters to Tbilisi for a demonstration. “This decision was made by opposition leaders. We are expecting the Georgian people on Rustaveli Avenue, “said Nikanor Melia from the United National Movement. According to another opposition politician, Shalva Natelasvili, he was usurped by oligarch Ivanishvili, the elections were not legitimate and the country is facing new elections, the Interfax agency said.
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At the call of the opposition, thousands of people gathered in front of the parliament today. “We do not recognize the election results and demand new elections,” Melia told them. “The fight is starting today and we will fight until the end,” added another member of the leadership of the opposition movement, David Bakradze. The opposition wants to hold another demonstration in a week and does not rule out boycotting the new parliament.
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The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stated that, on the basis of a report from international observers, the elections were held in accordance with fundamental freedoms and the principles of political competition. However, she condemned the pressure she was putting on voters and pointed out that the problem was a blurred line between the state and the ruling party.
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In Georgia, a new parliament was elected on Saturday under a mixed system: 120 members were elected proportionally and 30 by majority. Of the approximately 3.5 million eligible voters, 56.11 percent voted, TASS said. She added that according to the Central Election Commission, the candidates of the governing party won in all majority constituencies, while in half of the constituencies they won an absolute majority, which means victory in the first round.
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The Georgian Dream Party has maintained a secure majority in parliament for the last two terms, but its popularity has steadily declined, according to the AP, mainly due to economic difficulties. Both major political parties call themselves pro-Western and show interest in the closest possible ties with the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union. However, the opposition accuses the Georgian Dream of a fact that, while officially declaring a pro-Western trend, it is in fact pursuing a policy that is recording Russia.
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