Ruling party accused of fraud after victory in Georgia election

Georgia’s ruling party is set to retain power after an election that was broadly praised by international observers, but which opposition parties say was marred by fraud.

With votes from more than 80 per cent of constituencies counted, Georgian Dream had 49.26 per cent and the United National Movement (UNM) 26.46 per cent, with no other party assured of taking the 5 per cent required to enter parliament.

"I congratulate you on a big victory, Georgia! " prime minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told supporters outside Georgian Dream's headquarters in Tbilisi, the capital, after exit polls were released on Saturday.

“This was a truly free and fair election, which firmly cements Georgia’s democracy,” he said.

Separatist rebels

The two main parties want European Union and Nato membership, though Georgian Dream also backs “pragmatic” links with Russia, which props up separatist rebels who control two regions that comprise about one-fifth of Georgia’s territory.

Preliminary results showed that one pro-Russian party had a chance of entering parliament and it, like several parties including the UNM, accused Georgian Dream of major voting violations.

“Votes have been stolen from us . . . We will defend our votes to the end,” said UNM’s campaign chief Nika Melia. He said his party had “won this election” and that now the “struggle goes into a decisive phase”.

Nino Burjanadze, leader of a small party that seeks to strongly improve ties with Moscow, said: “Our party will not recognise these results . . . We have evidence of electoral fraud in favour of Georgian Dream, such as, for example, multiple voting.”

Media coverage

International monitors noted shortcomings before and during the vote, including violence and unbalanced media coverage and party funding, but the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said “fundamental rights were respected during a competitive campaign and . . . the election administration earned the trust and confidence” of voters.

Paolo Alli, head of monitors from the parliamentary assembly of Nato, said: “Georgia has reaffirmed its status as the leader of democratic transformation in this region.”

Fears of unrest grew last week when two men were shot at an independent politician’s campaign rally and a UNM deputy’s car was blown up in Tbilisi; some members of the main parties blamed each other, while others suspected Russia of stoking tension.

The political temperature was also raised by repeated pledges from UNM founder and ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili to return to his homeland from exile in Ukraine after the election.