By Felix Mild and Lucy Papachristou
TBILISI (Reuters) -Georgia’s ruling occasion and opposition events claimed victory in a parliamentary election on Saturday that they are saying will decide if the previous Soviet republic strikes in the direction of the West or leans again in the direction of Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Rival exit polls gave sharply totally different projections for the election, with one survey displaying the ruling occasion successful comfortably and two different polls displaying the opposition would clinch a majority.
An exit ballot by the Georgian Dream-supporting Imedi TV channel confirmed the ruling occasion successful 56%.
However exit polls by the pro-opposition System and Mtavari Arkhi channels confirmed main good points for pro-Western opposition events, who they steered would collectively have the ability to kind a majority within the 150 seat parliament.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the ruling occasion’s reclusive billionaire founder and onetime prime minister, claimed victory.
“It’s a uncommon case on the planet that the identical occasion achieves such success in such a tough scenario – it is a good indicator of the expertise of the Georgian individuals,” Ivanishvili mentioned simply minutes after polls closed.
“I guarantee you, our nation will obtain nice success within the subsequent 4 years,” Ivanishvili mentioned.
The opposition additionally claimed victory and mentioned it was on target to win a majority. Early outcomes are due imminently. Fuller outcomes must be introduced inside hours.
“European Georgia is successful with 52% regardless of makes an attempt to rig elections and with out votes from the diaspora,” President Salome Zourabichvili mentioned on X.
The System exit ballot mentioned that the ruling occasion can be the one largest occasion however that the 4 fundamental opposition events mixed would have 83 seats.
Georgia’s 4 fundamental opposition blocs are deeply divided, and it’s unclear if they may have the ability to work collectively in the event that they deprive Georgian Dream of its majority.
