Edison Research: ruling party polling at 39%

The Georgian Dream ruling party is likely to receive 39 per cent of votes in the upcoming parliamentary elections in October, says the recently published US Edison Research’s polls, commissioned by Georgian channel Formula TV. 

Per the constitutional amendments passed earlier this month, an election bloc or party which receives less than 40.54 per cent of votes in the proportional elections will not be able to form a government.

The ruling Georgian Dream party says that 'we do not trust in the polls commissioned by opposition channels.' 

I think that there is a mistake and there should be five (59) instead of three (39) in the polls," Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said. 

The opposition states that the ruling party rating 'will decrease further' and Georgia 'will have a coalition government after 2020 elections.' 

The poll, which surveyed 2,101 people around the country between June 23 and July 13, gave the following results.

• Georgian Dream ruling party-39%
• Undecided voters-20%
• United National Movement-16%
• European Georgia-Free Democrats election bloc-5%
• Lelo-3%.
• Labour party-3%
• New Georgia-3%
• Alliance of Patriots-3%
• Girchi-2%
• Aleko Elisashvili’s ‘Citizens’-2%
• Nino Burjanadze’s United Georgia-Democratic Movement-1%
• Irakli Okruashvili’s Victorious Georgia-1%
• Eka Beselia’s For Justice-1%
• Kakha Kukava’s Free Georgia-1%. 

The 2020 parliamentary elections will be held in a different manner - 120 seats in parliament will be distributed based on the votes received in proportional elections, while remaining 30 per the votes received in majoritarian elections (instead of the 76/73 electoral system). 

The mandates in the proportional elections will be distributed among parties and election blocs which receive at least one per cent of the vote. 

Blocs will be allowed in the 2020 elections. However, with a different election threshold. The percentage of votes received by election blocs must at least amount to 1 percent x number of the parties in the bloc.

The opposition has presented joint candidates for six of eight majoritarian constituencies in Tbilisi. 

The opposition has not agreed on joint, majoritarian candidates in the regions so far. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

The chances of joint opposition candidates according to the Edison Research polls are as follows: 

Samgori 

• Levan Khabeishvili-a joint candidate (UNM)-15%
• A candidate of the ruling party (the party has not nominated its candidates so far)-42%
• Other candidates-9%
• Undecided-34%.

Vake

• Elene Khoshtaria-a joint candidate (European Georgia-Free Democrats election bloc)-46%
• A ruling party candidate-31%
• Other candidates-4%
• Undecided-19%

Gldani 

• Nika Melia-a joint candidate(UNM)-35%
• A ruling party candidate-32%
• Other candidates-1%
• Undecided-32%

Isani 

• Giorgi Vashadze-a joint candidate(New Georgia)-37%
• A ruling party candidate-36%
• Other candidates-2%
• Undecided-25%

Nadzaladevi

• Shalva Natelashvili-a joint candidate(Labour Party)-20%
• A ruling party candidate-42%
• Other candidates-5%
• Undecided-33%

Mtatsminda-Krtsanisi

• Shalva Shavgulidze-a joint candidate(European Georgia-Free Democrats election bloc)-28%.
• A ruling party candidate-38%
• Other candidates-3%
• Undecided-31%

Twenty-six per cent of the surveyed people say that David Bakradze from the European Georgia party should be the opposition’s candidate for the premiership, then comes Giorgi Vashadze (20%) and Grigol Vashadze (UNM-18%).