Trendsetting elections – where is the country headed?

In the Black Sea Republic of Georgia, people will elect a new parliament this Saturday. The vote is seen as charting the way forward for the country's future. A rapprochement with the EU or greater cooperation with Russia is possible.

About 3.5 million people have been asked to vote. The South Caucasus republic is a candidate for EU membership, but the process is currently on hold due to controversial laws.

The country's pro-European president Salome Zurabishvili was one of the first voters to cast a ballot at a polling station in the capital Tbilisi this morning. “I believe this day will determine the future of Georgia,” the 72-year-old said. With a reform agenda, she launched an opposition coalition to contest the elections.

Georgian government head predicts clear election victory

The government expects a clear victory in the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Georgia in the South Caucasus region. According to the Interpressnews news agency, Iraqi Prime Minister Kobachidze said during the vote: “Our predictions are optimistic. We expect 60% of the votes to come from the people.” He once again emphasized the importance of elections for the future direction of the country.

Kobachidze said that, like in 2012, this is about the further development of the country. At that time, the Georgian Dream party, which is still in power today, replaced the previously ruling United National Movement party under President Mikheil Saakashvili. “This is a referendum on war and peace, amoral propaganda and traditional values; a referendum on the country's dark past and its bright future,” Kobachidze said.

The ruling party hopes to remain in power

The pro-Western opposition has formed four electoral coalitions but remains divided. The only thing they agreed on was that the country should follow European lines. The Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012, hopes to remain in power. Surveys in the traditionally polarized country have sometimes produced conflicting results and, according to experts, are unreliable. This is why NGOs specifically deployed many observers to monitor the voting. Electoral law experts have complained about the ruling party's misuse of state resources.

President Salome Zurabishvili launched a reform agenda, the Georgian Charter. Most of the opposition has signed on to the agreement. Therefore, if the opposition wins the election, it should form a “technical government” and implement reforms that would put the country back on European lines. Early elections should be held within a year. There are domestic doubts about the plan's success amid a divided opposition.

Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili has launched a reform agenda.Image: trapezoid

Ruling party stokes fears of war if opposition wins

Georgian Dream, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, promised voters stability and peace. The party advocates a national conservative line and economic cooperation with Russia. Ivanishvili made his money in banking and raw materials industries and has long held a Russian passport. His party has fueled fears of war with its large northern neighbor if the opposition wins.

Ivanishvili blamed the 2008 war with Russia on the United National Movement party, led by jailed former president Mikhail Saakashvili. Moscow later recognized Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Georgia lost 20% of its territory. The United National Movement was in power until 2012 and is currently the largest opposition party. Ivanishvili has repeatedly announced that he would ban the Georgian Dream party if they received a two-thirds majority in parliament in elections.

The EU accuses the Georgian government of taking an anti-European approach. The Black Sea country has been a candidate for EU membership since the end of 2023, but the process has been put on hold due to the adoption of controversial laws. The government has introduced a Russian-style law aimed at curbing so-called foreign influence on civil society. It also limits the rights of sexual minorities.

pre-election rallies

The country is divided. Nearly a week before the election, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the capital Tbilisi, demanding reconciliation with the European Union. Days later, tens of thousands also attended a ruling party rally in Tbilisi. The party organized buses to transport many people from remote areas of Georgia to the capital.

electronic counting

A new feature of this parliamentary election is the installation of electronic equipment at polling stations. They are used to identify people eligible to vote, count votes, and determine and transmit provisional election results. The electoral commission has repeatedly said the devices were not connected to the internet and that the secrecy of the vote was maintained.

Georgia has approximately 3.7 million residents, including citizens living abroad, and 3.5 million are eligible to vote. Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT). A big result is expected Saturday night. After the vote, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has 500 election observers on duty, also hopes to assess the results from a democratic perspective. (HKL/SDA/DPA)

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