Georgia’s ruling party leads crucial election race which could decide the country’s role in Europe

Georgia’s ruling enactment is starring the authoritative results of Saturday’s parliamentary predetermination aft a important ballot which could determine whether the state pivots to clasp the West oregon falls backmost into Russia’s orbit.

Many Georgians viewed the ballot arsenic a make-or-break referendum connected the accidental to articulation the European Union. Initial figures suggest turnout is the highest since the ruling Georgian Dream enactment was archetypal elected successful 2012.

Georgia’s Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream won 52.99 per cent of the ballot with the bulk of the ballot counted. Not each insubstantial ballots and votes formed by Georgians overseas person been counted, and it is unclear erstwhile a last effect could beryllium announced.

Georgian Dream stood against 4 main absorption groups which besides claimed triumph erstwhile competing exit polls were released soon aft polls closed astatine 8 p.m. section clip (1600 GMT).

If Georgian Dream’s triumph is confirmed, the enactment volition person a parliamentary bulk which volition stoke fears astir the country’s bid for EU membership. The enactment has go progressively authoritarian, adopting laws which are akin to those utilized by Russia to ace down connected state of speech. After 1 specified instrumentality was passed earlier this year, Brussels suspended Georgia’s EU rank process.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the laminitis of Georgian Dream, claimed triumph astir instantly aft polls closed and said, “It is uncommon successful the satellite for the aforesaid enactment to execute specified occurrence successful specified a hard situation.”

The pre-election run successful the South Caucasus federation of 3.7 cardinal people, which borders Russia, was dominated by overseas argumentation and marked by a bitter combat for votes and allegations of a smear campaign.

Some Georgians complained of intimidation and being pressured to ballot for Georgian Dream, portion the absorption accused the enactment of carrying retired a “hybrid war” against its citizens.

The biggest absorption party, United National Movement, said its office came nether onslaught connected polling day. Georgian media besides reported 2 radical were hospitalized aft being attacked extracurricular polling stations, 1 successful the occidental metropolis of Zugdidi, the different successful Marneuli, a municipality southbound of the capital, Tbilisi.

There were besides reports of aggregate voting irregularities.

One video shared connected societal media Saturday besides showed a antheral stuffing ballots into a container astatine a polling presumption successful Marneuli. Georgia’s Interior Ministry said it launched an probe and the Central Election Commission said a transgression lawsuit had been opened and that each results from the polling presumption would beryllium declared invalid.

Georgian Dream says it volition prohibition absorption parties

Ahead of the parliamentary predetermination Ivanishvili — the shadowy billionaire who acceptable up Georgian Dream and made his luck successful Russia — vowed again to prohibition absorption parties should his enactment win.

Georgian Dream volition clasp absorption parties “fully accountable nether the afloat unit of the law” for “war crimes” committed against the radical of Georgia, Ivanishvili said astatine a pro-government rally successful Tbilisi, Wednesday. He did not explicate what crimes helium believes the absorption has committed.

Many believed the predetermination was the astir important ballot since Georgia gained independency pursuing the illness of the Soviet Union successful 1991. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili described it arsenic an “existential election.”

Georgians privation “European integration, privation to determination guardant and privation policies which volition bring america a better, much stable, future,” Qristine Tordia, 29, told The Associated Press soon aft voting successful Tbilisi.

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Around 80 per cent of Georgians favour joining the EU, according to polls, and the country’s constitution obliges its leaders to prosecute rank successful that bloc and NATO.

But Brussels enactment Georgia’s bid for introduction to the EU connected clasp indefinitely aft the ruling enactment passed a “Russian law” cracking down connected state of code successful June. Many Georgians fearfulness Georgian Dream is dragging the state toward authoritarianism and sidesplitting disconnected hopes it could articulation the EU.

The predetermination is “not conscionable astir changing government, it is astir whether Georgia survives oregon not due to the fact that Ivanishvili’s authorities means Russia,” said Nika Gvaramia, person of Coalition for Changes, an absorption radical earlier polls closed.

Ivanishvili voted Saturday greeting nether dense security. He did not respond erstwhile asked by the AP if helium wanted to signifier an confederation with Russia.

He said the predetermination is simply a prime betwixt a “government that volition service you,” oregon “choosing agents of a overseas state which volition fulfill the requests of the overseas state only.” Ivanishvili did not bespeak which state helium was referring to but up of the predetermination helium and his officials claimed a “Global War Party” was seeking to power the EU and the U.S., widen the struggle successful Ukraine, and unit Georgian Dream from power.

Opposition backs program for reforms required by the EU

The absorption parties ignored Zourabichvili’s petition to unite into a azygous enactment but signed up to her “charter” to transportation retired the reforms required by the EU to join.

The governing and absorption parties told voters they would prosecute EU rank adjacent though laws passed by Georgian Dream person enactment that anticipation connected hold.

At the EU acme past week, EU leaders said they person “serious concerns regarding the people of enactment taken by the Georgian government.”

Georgian Dream stood against 3 coalitions: the Unity National Movement, the Coalition for Changes Lelo, and Strong Georgia.

The Gakharia for Georgia party, acceptable up by erstwhile premier curate Giorgi Gakharia, said it volition not spell into an confederation with anyone but volition enactment the absorption to signifier a authorities if they triumph capable votes.

Associated Press shaper Sophiko Megrelidze contributed to this report