PM on municipal elections: Important step towards democracy
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Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikahsvili congratulated all of Georgia "with the completion of peaceful and free elections”.
Commenting on the first exit poll results for the 2017 municipal elections in Georgia, Kvirikashvili said the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia is "leading overwhelmingly”, and so is Kakha Kaladze, the ruling party’s Tbilisi mayoral candidate.
I congratulate all of you! This victory belongs to Tbilisi and its residents, the Georgian people and the Georgian state”, Kvirikashvili said thanking the voters "for their activity and exemplary civic culture".
Saying "this is another extremely important step towards democracy" PM Kvirikashvili said the ruling party in now awaiting the final results to be calculated by the Central Election Commission which, Kvirikashvili believes "will confirm Georgian Dream’s victory”.
Today, the majority of the electorate voted for the political power that has done so much for Georgia in the past five years, and that has even greater plans for the future. I would like to thank everyone for the support and a high level of trust. We fully understand that this is a greatest responsibility, and I would like you to know that we, every one of us, are sparing no effort to cement this trust”, Kvirikashvili said.
The PM stated despite the fact not everything was perfect in the country population "clearly saw" Georgia is "on the right track."
Our people see that there is stability in the country, and that the authorities today govern through love, not division and hatred."
PM also thanked the international monitoring missions and local observers for the "important work” that they have done.
Rustavi2 channel announced the results obtained by the Edison Research company, commissioned by the television to conduct exit polls at stations across Georgia, as the voting process closed at 8pm local time.
The first exit poll results have been revealed for the 2017 municipal elections in Georgia, with the figures presenting the maiden picture of the polling results for the Tbilisi city mayor election race and results for the participating parties.
In Georgia 1,262,809 voters throughout the country cast their vote in the Municipal Elections by 5pm this afternoon. Voter turnout was 36.71 percent at 5pm - nine hours after polling stations opened across the country, said the Central Election Commission (CEC) in its latest media update.
Four hours since the polling stations opened for voters this morning and some of Tbilisi mayoral candidates have already cast their ballots in today's Municipal Elections. Georgian Dream candidate Kakha Kaladze arrived at the polling station at about 10 am.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has cast his ballot in today's Municipal Elections and voted for "a better Tbilisi”. PM arrived at Saburtalo #24 polling station in central Tbilisi about 9:00am with his family.
Zaal Udumashvili from the United National Movement opposition, Elene Khoshtaria from the European Georgia opposition and an independent candidate for Tbilisi mayor’s post Aleko Elisashvili have made their comments after the first exit poll released.
The latest exit poll conducted by GORBI, commissioned by Imedi TV, reports the Georgian Dream ruling party received 54percent of votes.
Georgia’s Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili and several leading NGOs have already released their assessments of the Election Day.
Ruling Georgian Dream party’s candidate Kakha Kaladze appears to be winning the mayoral race in capital Tbilisi. The Central Election Commission (CEC) released preliminary results of the Municipal Elections 2017.
A second round of mayoral elections could be needed in six municipalities across Georgia, says chair of the Central Election Commission Tamar Zhvania, based on preliminary results. The municipalities are Kutaisi, Ozurgeti, Martvili, Kazbegi, Khashuri, and Borjomi.
Georgia has once again proved it is part of democratic world and a member of the European family, ruling Georgian Dream party’s candidate Kakha Kaladze said at today’s briefing.
Today is the second round of municipal elections in Georgia, when the local population is voting in those six districts where no candidate cleared the 50 percent threshold during the first vote on October 21. The polling stations opened at 8 am this morning for about 328,272 eligible voters in Kutaisi, Ozurgeti, and Martvili in western Georgia, and Kazbegi, Khashuri, and Borjomi in eastern Georgia where the election runoff takes place.