Early exit polls put the party of prime minister Georgy Kvirikashvili ahead with around 50% of the vote.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has won Georgia’s parliamentary election, but the celebrations may be shortlived, as accusations of vote rigging from the opposition raised fears of instability.
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Early exit polls put the party of prime minister Georgy Kvirikashvili ahead with around 50% of the vote.
“I want to congratulate this very big victory of our country, of our homeland. This is a victory for each of us. This victory came after a long battle,” he told supporters.
This was a truly free and fair election, which firmly cements #Georgia’s democracy. The real winners today are the Georgian people. #gvote
— Giorgi Kvirikashvili (@KvirikashviliGi) October 8, 2016
The opposition United National Movement came in second with around 20% of the vote. They accused the government of ‘stealing’ the vote and held a protest outside the electoral commission.
According to local observers there were several violations during the count, including attackers throwing stones at a polling station, as they demanded the vote be cancelled.
A press conference from international election observers is expected later in the day.