PM Garibashvili sums up election results

The Prime Minister of Georgia has again summed up the results of the municipal elections held in Georgia on June 15, in a bid to clarify the results after inaccurate information started circulating in society.

At a special briefing yesterday Irakli Garibashvili said he was saddened to learn that incorrect "information propaganda” was being spread, presumably by United National Movement (UNM), and decided to personally inform the population about the votes counted by the Central Election Commission (CEC).

"In total, results of both majority and proportional voting show that Georgian Dream will be represented by 67.6 percent throughout Georgia,” Garibashvili stated.

He said opposition party UNM gained only 13 percent of votes, which was less than other initiative groups and political parties, who gained 20 percent of votes.

Garibashvili believed UNM were "deliberately spreading misinformation and manipulating figures as if it was the only political power competing against the ruling party.

Garibashvili said this was incorrect as there were many other oppositional parties who competed in Sunday’s elections, and some were successful.

"Obviously, I praise such a multi-party Sakrebulos and self-governing bodies. I am very pleased that in almost every region the candidates of parties and initiative groups scored second place and UNM is following them,” Garibashvili said.

"In total six opposition powers will be represented in different Sakrebulos, which is a victory for Georgian democracy,” PM Garibashvili said.

As for the candidates according to majority voting, Garibashvili pointed out that out of 1,049 majority candidates, Georgian voters gave their mandate to 811 Georgian Dream candidates, 128 mandate to various initiative groups’ candidates and 64 to UNM candidates.

"While this political power has an ambition to be ranked second during the elections, this is in fact not correct,” Garibashvili added.

He believed UNM had "deliberately spreading” misinformation to confuse the public about its election result.

"During the second round of elections, six opposition powers will compete the Georgian Dream coalition. Out of the 21 runnoff elections to be held in cities and municipalities across Georgia, UNM will only compete against Georgian Dream in six rounds,” the Prime Minister added.

At the end of his statement he again congratulated Georgian Dream supporters, supporters of other political parties and the entire Georgian population for holding the June 15 elections in a democratic environment.

Election authorities estimated the municipal elections runoff will be held in late July.