‘Overwhelming victory’ vs ‘fake victory’ – Tbilisi MP election evaluated by parties

Georgian ruling and opposition parties have provided different evaluations of Sunday’s by elections in Tbilisi, in which candidate of the Georgian Dream ruling party (GD) Lado Kakhadze defeated the joint nominee of the European Georgia and the Free Democrats opposition parties Shalva Shavgulidze with almost 62 per cent of votes.

Members of the ruling party and Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhradze have stated that it was an “overwhelming  victory,” with Georgians once again expressing their support to them, while the opposition believes that the GD won the race “with the use of criminals, black PR stunt against Shavgulidze, suppressing prisoners’ families and favoring the socially vulnerable”.

The ruling party says that have high support in public and vow to offer a renewed team for 2020 parliamentary elections. 

I admit the loss. However, there is nothing in the victory to celebrate as it was gained with the use of various illegal and immoral methods,” Shavgulidze said, declining to wish success to his rival after the Georgian Central Election Commission released the preliminary data several hours after the elections. 

Responding to the allegations on the use of people with criminal records and mentality to win the elections, members of the Georgian Dream party said that it is a “cheap speculation.”

One should admit the loss and wish success to their opponent who won the race honestly,” Anri Okhanashvili from the ruling party said.  

One of the leaders of the Georgian Dream party Archil Talakvadze stated that the victory was gained due to the trust Georgian citizens have in the government.

He stated that the ruling party will present a renewed team for the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The results of the second round of by elections are as follows:

• Lado Kakhadze – the Georgian Dream party – 61.83 per cent.
• Shalva Shavgulidze – Free Democrats and the European Georgia – 38.17 per cent.

The MP by elections in central Tbilisi Mtatsminda district came after the election of Salome Zurabishvili as president of Georgia in December 2018.

In the first round of the by elections held on May 19, 2019 none of the candidates in Mtatsminda managed to overcome the 50 per cent threshold which is why the second round was scheduled.

Read more about the second round of the Mtatsminda district by elections here.