All 17 run-off seats in Georgian parliament won by ruling party candidates amid opposition boycott
Candidates for the ruling Georgian Dream party won all 17 majoritarian seats in the second round of parliamentary elections in Georgia on November 21, 2929.
The elections were uncontested, as all majoritarian opposition candidates withdrew their candidacies in protest what they say amounts to the rigging of the October 31 parliamentary elections.
The united opposition of Georgia has been holding street protests since October 31, the day of the parliamentary elections. All opposition forces called the elections rigged and are demanding a repeat vote. The eight parties that made it to parliament resigned from their seats. The authorities, in turn, insist that the elections were free.
One of the leaders of the ruling party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said at a briefing that ‘despite the sabotage of the opposition,’ more than half a million citizens voted.
- “The opposition in Georgia has declared a boycott – as if we are watching the same film again”
- Elections in Georgia: counting, protest, boycott
- “Such a pressure of water that it is impossible to cover your face with your hands” – how the protest was dispersed in Tbilisi. Video
The Georgian Young Lawyers Association [GYLA] monitored the electoral process and registered over 100 ‘significant violations in some precincts’.
According to the CEC, by 20:00 turnout across Georgia was 26.29%, which means that 562,664 voters came to polling stations across the country.
“Basically, the violations were related to the violation of the secrecy of the vote, pressure on voters, obstruction of the work of observers,” GYLA reported.
The organization Fair Elections also recorded violations. Their observers identified in one case of alleged bribery of voters and voting by one person more than once.
Parliamentary elections in Georgia for the first time this year were held under a new system – 120 MPs were elected under the proportional (party) system, and 30 under the majoritarian system.
In the first round, pro-government candidates won in 13 majoritarian constituencies. In the remaining 17 constituencies, a second round was called because none of the candidates received 50 percent of the vote.
According to the proportional system, the votes were distributed as follows:
1. The ruling Georgian Dream party – 48.22 percent
2. National Movement – United Opposition – 27.18 percent
3. European Georgia – 3.79 percent
4. Lelo – 3.16 percent
5. Agmashenebeli Strategy – 3.15 percent
6. Alliance of Patriots – 3.14 percent
7. Girchi – 2.89 percent
8. Citizens – Aleko Elisashvili – 1.33 percent
9. Labor Party – 1 percent.
