Bakhtadze: Ruling Party Leading in Elections
Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtazde says that ruling party Georgian Dream is leading in elections, adding it is possible that the second round will be needed in Mtatsminda district, Tbilisi.
The PM made the statement late on May 19, when the midterm elections finished in Georgia.
"This is the greatest achievement of our team, the political achievement we are particularly proud of. Today the Georgian society, as well as the international community, once again saw the elections in Georgia in a free and democratic environment,” he said, going on to thank the Central Election Commission representatives and the law enforcers for "their professionalism."
Bakhtadze also mentioned that the United National Movement (UNM) had shown “destructive” actions.
Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze said the second round will be held in Mtatsminda between the GD’s candidate Lado Kakhadze and Shalva Shavgulidze, who according to him, represents the UNM.
"Of 107 precincts in Zugdidi, the results of 88 have been counted. According to these polls, 54.08% belong to Giorgi Shengelia, our candidate, and so it can be said that Shengelia won the first round,” he said.
However, the UNM candidate and the wife of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, Sandra Roelofs, claims she won the mayoral race in Zugdidi.
“There will be even no second round because we received information that we won in the first round,” she said.
Parliamentary by-elections through a majoritarian election system took place in N1 Mtatsminda election district of Tbilisi. The elections became necessary after the district majoritarian MP, Salome Zurabishvili, became the first female president of Georgia in November 2018.
Moreover, City Council (Sakrebulo) interim elections were held in Sagarejo, Akhmeta, Adigeni, Zestafoni, Chiatura, Tkibuli, Tskaltubo and Ozurgeti municipality majoritarian election districts. The elections took place in 26 election precincts in all eight municipalities.
Extraordinary Mayoral Elections took place in Marneuli, Zestafoni, Chiatura, Zugdidi and Khulo municipalities in 362 election precincts.
By Thea Morrison