The pro-Russian Georgian Dream party won the elections; Pro-European opposition refuses to concede

Georgian Dream party founder and oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili (center) speaks after the exit poll results for parliamentary elections are announced during celebrations at the Georgian Dream party headquarters in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Saturday. Photo by David Mdzinarishvili/EPA-EFE

“This is a rare case in the world when the same party achieves such success in such a difficult situation,” Ivanishvili said after the vote, The Guardian reports. “This is a good indicator of the talent of the Georgian people.”

Results released by the Central Election Commission showed the Georgian Dream party winning by as much as 90% in some rural areas but performing poorly in major cities.

However, opposition groups reported violence outside polling stations, making it difficult for their supporters to vote.

Tina Bokuchava of the Western election organization United National Movement said its exit polls differed significantly from the central commission’s official tallies.

One opposition TV channel, Edison, gave anti-Georgian Dream groups a lead of 51.9% to 40.9%, while TV station HarrisX gave them a lead of 48% to 42%. However, leading government-backed television channel Imedi said its exit polls gave Georgian Dream 56% of the vote.

The opposition refused to concede, saying Georgian Dream had staged a “constitutional coup,” and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said the vote was influenced by a “Russian special operation.”

The loss appears to be a setback by opposition forces who wanted to continue Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, which is now under threat after lawmakers passed a “foreign agents” law.

Opposition groups staged massive protests against the law, which were eventually brutally suppressed by security forces. It was unclear whether the election results would prompt similar demonstrations.