Ruling Party Prevails in Georgian Parliamentary Elections

Supporters of ruling Georgian Dream party take part in rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. Two exit polls in Georgia’s parliamentary election show the ruling party in the lead, but the polls differ sizeably on the margin of victory. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Georgia’s governing party has won parliamentary elections according to near-complete results released amid accusations of vote rigging from the opposition, RFERL/RL reports.

With votes in 99 percent of the constituencies now counted, the Georgian Dream party had clinched about 48.6 percent while the opposition United National Movement (ENM) came in second place with 27 percent, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said.

The pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots has 4.9 percent of votes, falling short of the 5-percent threshold required in order to win parliamentary mandates.

The preliminary results that have been released are for a proportional ballot that will decide 77 of the 150 seats in the legislature. The 73 other seats have been contested in single-seat constituencies.

Because of Georgia’s complex election laws, the final composition of the country’s legislative assembly might not be determined until late next month.

Voter turnout was low, with just over 51 percent of those eligible casting ballots, according to the CEC.

International observers monitoring Georgia’s parliamentary elections say the October 8 vote was competitive, well-administered, and fundamental freedoms were generally respected.

However, their preliminary statement released on October 9 also said that the campaign atmosphere was impacted by allegations of unlawful campaigning and some incidents of violence.