Georgian ruling party secures majority with 70% of precincts counted, official results show
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party captured 53% of the vote in the Oct. 26 parliamentary election, with 70% of precincts counted, according to the country's central electoral commission.
The commission reported that the final voter turnout reached 58.94%. Some 3.5 million Georgians were eligible to cast ballots in the polls.
Meanwhile, the opposition claimed victory in the election.
The European Union has cautioned that this election will shape Georgia’s prospects for joining the 27-nation bloc. Polls indicate that most Georgians support EU membership, but accession talks stalled after Georgian Dream passed a law in June that restricts freedom of speech.
Election monitors reported various violations across the country, including ballot stuffing and voter intimidation. Less than an hour before polls closed, President Salome Zourabichvili, known for her pro-Western stance, urged opposition voters not to be intimidated. "Don't get scared. All this is just psychological pressure on you," she said in a live address on social media.
Tamar Kintsurashvili
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