Presidential elections 2018: results of three exit polls released
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The Georgian Dream ruling party, the European Georgia opposition party and Rustavi 2 private broadcaster have released the results of exit polls they have conducted.
The exit poll results were announced as soon as all polling stations in Georgia were closed at 8 pm.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has released the results of exit polls conducted by Tbilisi-based Psychoproject research company.
The results are as follows.
- Salome Zurabishvili, an independent candidate supported by the Georgian Dream ruling party - 52.3 percent.
- Grigol Vashadze: the joint candidate for 10 opposition parties - 28.1 percent.
- David Bakradze, candidate for European Georgia - 9.2 per cent.
- Zurab Japaridze, Girchi opposition party presidential candidate- 4.4 per cent.
Results of exit polls conducted on the order of Rustavi 2 by US-based Edison Research (the results for valid as of 4 pm, final results will be released soon, the channel says):
- Grigol Vashadze - 40 per cent.
- Salome Zurabishvili - 40 per cent.
- David Bakradze - 10 per cent.
- Shalva Natelashvili [the Labour party] - three per cent.
- David Usupashvili [Movement for Building]- two per cent.
Exit poll results conducted by BCG Research on the order of the European Georgia opposition:
- Grigol Vashadze - 37 per cent.
- Salome Zurabishvili - 34 per cent.
- David Bakradze - 17 per cent.
- Shalva Natelashvili - five per cent.
These results are not official as only the Georgian Central Election Commission is authorised to count votes and then announce preliminary and final results.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Natia Mezvrishvili has held a briefing where she reported on the election process and incidents in or near polling stations.
38.16% of total voters or 1,337,284 people have cast their votes in the presidential elections. The polls will close at 20 p.m. tonight.
The Central Election Commission has reported that 30.98% of total voters have voted for their favourite presidential candidate so far which amounts to 1,085,730 people.
Police have detained a representative of the Georgian Dream ruling party and a member of the united opposition [supporting presidential candidate Grigol Vashadze] in the village of Imiri of Marneuli region in eastern Georgia as the individuals were verbally and physically fighting with one another at the polling station.
Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze has thanked voters for turning out to vote today.
Chairman of the Political Council of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili says that the United National Movement opposition will try to stir election-related confrontations.
The Central Election Commission of Georgia has announced 46,74 percent turnout for eligible voters during the 2018 Presidential Elections in the country.
The process of counting the votes in the Presidential Elections of Georgia can be followed live, courtesy of a video feed from the Central Election Commission of Georgia.
Independent candidate supported by the ruling party Salome Zurabishvili said she is happy that the results show that there will be no need for a second round of voting.
3,689 of a total of 3,705 polling stations have been counted: the ruling Georgian Dream party supported independent candidate Salome Zurabishvili received 38.6 per cent of the vote and the presidential candidate of ten opposition parties, Grigol Vashadze, received 37.7 per cent.
The Georgian Dream ruling party says that the results of yesterday’s presidential elections carried a message to them from the Georgian people.
The presidential candidate of ten opposition parties Grigol Vashadze, who came second in the presidential race based on the current data of the Central Election Commission, says that it is no time for euphoria as the second round of the elections is still ahead.
The Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) and its office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) have released their preliminary assessments about the 28 October presidential elections in Georgia.
"We received a clear message about our mistakes from our people, as well as about the expectations they have towards us regarding concrete challenges, the challenges which bother them and their families. We have seen much from the elections, we have seen that many things need to be changed in the shortest terms,” Bakhtadze said.
EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Maja Kocijancic has stated that according to the preliminary conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission, the 28 October presidential elections in Georgia were "competitive and professionally administered", giving Georgian voters a genuine voice.
Heads of the EU and UNDP representations in Georgia have evaluated the election environment ahead of the presidential runoff and mentioned high competition, a democratic election process but that the election campaign period has included aggression.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated at a briefing today that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili met Russian interests when his party, the United National Movement, nominated Grigol Vashadze for president.
If local self-government elections were held today 32 percent of the population would vote for the ruling Georgian Dream party, 24 percent for the opposition United National Movement (UNM), while 13 percent would vote for former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s new political party For Georgia, says Edison Research poll, commissioned by Georgian channel Formula TV.