The Runoff Elections Summarized
Ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party-backed presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili commented Thursday morning on the results of the Central Election Commission (CEC), according to which she received 59.7% of votes, which is equal to 916,873 votes, making her Georgia’s 5th and first female President.
“I felt a huge responsibility when I learned I had become President,” she said.
Zurabishvili noted that the results of the election represent a victory for society.
“Today, we jointly refused to go back to the past, which itself would interrupt the process of strengthening and developing our society,” Zurabishvili said after the preliminary results of the exit polls were announced. She went on to thank the voters for their activity and support.
"I would like to thank all our citizens who are listening to us now. Today is a very important day. Today, my country has made a principled choice. This choice is essential for the present and future of Georgia," she said.
According to the Edison Research exit poll results, Zurabishvili received 55% of votes, while Grigol Vashadze, presidential candidate of the United Opposition, received 45%, According to the exit poll conducted on the order of Imedi TV, Zurabishvili received 58% of votes and Vashadze 42%.
"Such elections have never been held in Georgia. The authorities mobilized and bribed everyone they could. Criminals were also involved in the process," losing presidential candidate Grigol Vashadze stated prior to the exit polls being announced.
GD Chair and founder Bidzina Ivanishvili also thanked the people for supporting Salome Zurabishvili.
“We will do our maximum to ensure that the people’s trust in us is not lost. We are grateful to our voters and society in general… First and foremost, our society has realized its power. People are well aware that they have the levers and they took the relevant action,” he added.
Ivanishvili said he would do his best for Georgia to have a “worthy government which serves the people.”
The CEC stated that the turnout in the second round of the presidential elections reached 56.23% across Georgia, which is 1,975,845 voters.
CEC Spokesperson Ana Mikeladze said that this 56.23% does not include people who voted abroad and added that the highest turnout was in Keda municipality at 72.72%, and the lowest in Tsalka at 43.12%. She also noted that no significant violations were reported on election day.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze commented on the results of the exit polls, thanking the Georgian people for their trust and wishing Zurabishvili success.
“I would like to congratulate Salome Zurabishvili and the Georgian state on the victory. The elections have proved once again that Georgia is truly a democratic state,” he said.
The PM noted that both rounds of the elections had revealed what the people are expecting from the ruling party.
“We should not waste time on celebrations. It is time to work. I would like to declare with all my sense of responsibility that we are ready to worthily respond to all the challenges Georgia is facing,” PM Bakhtadze promised.
By The GT Team