Mtavari Arkhi TV commissioned polls: ruling party wins in Tbilisi, UNM in 4 other cities
A total of 2,088,722 voters are eligible to participate in the municipal run-offs nationwide on October 30. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Election polls commissioned by the opposition-oriented TV channel Mtavari Arkhi says that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) mayoral candidate and incumbent Kakha Kaladze will receive 51.6%, while Nika Melia from the United National Movement (UNM) will get 48.4% in municipal election run-offs in Tbilisi on October 30.
The survey, conducted by the international France-based company Ipsos, showed that in four other large cities — Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Zugdidi — UNM mayoral candidates are in the lead.
According to Ipsos’s survey, election results in the four cities are as follows:
Kutaisi:
Khatia Dekanoidze (UNM) - 51.7%
Ioseb Khakhaleishvili (GD) - 48.3%
Rustavi:
Davit Kirkitadze (UNM) - 53.1%
Nino Latsabidze (GD) - 46.9 %
Batumi:
Giorgi Kirtadze (UNM) - 51.3%
Archil Chikovani (GD) - 48.7%
Zugdidi:
Anzor Melia (UNM) - 54.7%
Mamuka Tsotseria (GD) - 45.3%
Based on final results of the October 2nd local self-government race, the GD received 46.74% of the vote and won the majority of mayoral constituencies, while the UNM received 30.68%, and former PM Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party garnered 7.79%. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated earlier today that the survey has no credibility, noting that the name of the company Ipsos is just used by the opposition-minded TV channel.
In two days our population will see that these second rounds will end with our victory,” said Garibashvili.
The survey was conducted between October 23-27, with 2,600 respondents interviewed. The margin of error of the survey is 3%.
Mayoral election run-offs will be held in 20 of 64 constituencies of Georgia, as none of the candidates received at least 51% of the vote.
In 17 of the 20 election constituencies, the candidates of the GD and the UNM opposition will compete, while in the remaining three constituencies, the ruling party will face the For Georgia party.
A total of 2,088,722 voters are eligible to participate in the municipal run-offs nationwide on October 30.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) says that 2,088,722 voters have been registered to participate in municipal election run-offs on Saturday, while the number of eligible voters stood at 3,497,345 in the first round of elections on October 2. The total number of voters in Tbilisi, which will also hold run-offs, is 1,002,525.
The European Parliament (EP) will send one more mission to Georgia for observing municipal election run-offs in the country on October 30, EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has announced. Ambassador Hartzell stated that four more MEPs will monitor the second round of local elections in Georgia, together with OSCE/ODIHR.
Opposition United National Movement chair Nika Melia, who is also a mayoral candidate in Tbilisi, has named Lelo for Georgia party leader Mamuka Khazaradze as a candidate for deputy mayor’s position. Melia, who introduced the program of the opposition coalition said Khazaradze is the person whose support strengthens him.
Political movement Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria and leader of the opposition Lelo for Georgia party Mamuka Khazaradze have signed a coalition cooperation document earlier today ahead of municipal election run-offs slated for October 30.
Ruling party mayoral candidate and incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze has called on all Georgian citizens to participate in the municipal election run-offs on October 30 and ‘to put an end’ to the opposition party United National Movement (UNM).
According to the final results of the first round in the race, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party received 46.74 per cent of the vote, the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party received 30.68 per cent of the vote while ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party garnered 7.79 per cent of the vote.
The opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel, which commissioned election polls from the international research company Ipsos, has suspended its cooperation with the latter. Mtavari Arkhi’s general director, Nika Gvaramia, explained that Ipsos breached the contract by uploading pre-election results on its website which were different from the numbers they reported to Mtavari Arkhi.
Georgia's top tennis player Basilashvili has recorded a message in support of incumbent Tbilisi mayor Kaladze ahead of the municipal election runoff on Saturday in Georgia, wishing the politician success in the tightly contested mayor race.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party head Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the GD is winning in 18 out of 20 municipalities, saying that in the remaining two municipalities the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party is close to 50% threshold.
Police have detained several people amid physical confrontations at Zugdidi electoral district. Zugdidi mayoral candidate from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Mamuka Tsotseria accused the United National Movement (UNM) activists of staging provocations.