99% of votes counted, presidential election runoff inevitable
The second round of the presidential elections will allegedly be held in early November. Photo: N.Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has counted 99 per cent of the votes after yesterday’s presidential elections – a second round of voting is inevitable.
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 results mean that 61.964 people voted for Zurabishvili and 599.662 for Vashadze.
The presidential candidate of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze received 10.9 per cent of the vote.
Leader of the Labour Party Shalva Natelashvili received 3.7 per cent of votes and former parliament speaker and leader of the Development Movement David Usupashvili- 2.2 per cent of votes.
CEC announced that 1,637,956 voters cast ballots in the elections, which amounted to 46.7 per cent of total registered voters.
3,518,890 voters had the right to cast ballots in the elections.
The election turnout was 45.4 per cent, while in the 2013 presidential elections turnout was 46.6 per cent.
The CEC stated that the elections were conducted in a calm, free and transparent environment and 364 complaints were written about possible procedural and other violations at voting stations.
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.
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.
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.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has ended the counting process of votes for the 28 October presidential elections.The votes of all 3,705 polling stations have been counted and the results mean that a runoff will be held no later than 2 October between the top two candidates-Zurabishvili and Vashadze.
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.
Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Natia Mezvrishvili says that 15 individuals have been charged for 28 October election-related violations.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating an alleged attack on the members of the United National Movement opposition in eastern Akhalkalaki region today, which is inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians.
Imedi TV channel has announced they will operate in a way so as not to allow the ‘old regime’ [referring to Mikheil Saakshvili’s United National Movement] to return to power.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili who resigned earlier this year has released a special statement in which he appeals to the Georgian people to “preserve the values they voted for in 2012”.
The government of Georgia will allocate 10,583,022 GEL [4 million USD] for the November 28 presidential election runoff. The government allocated 42 million GEL for the first round of elections, which was held on 28 October.
Head of the Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia Soso Giorgadze says NGO allegations that fake ID documents are being printed to engineer the upcoming presidential elections are “absurd and invented.”