Exit Polls Suggest Georgia will Have One-Party Parliament
The exit polls suggest that President Saakashvili’s National Movement-Democrats swept a landslide victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections with 78,6% of support, while other parties failed to clear 7% threshold necessary for securing seats in the Parliament. The exit poll results mean that only the ruling party would gain remaining 150 seats in the legislative body. The opposition parties have already protested against the alleged ballot fraud. Around couple of hounded supporters of the opposition Labor Party gathered outside the Central Election Commission claiming that “the elections were totally rigged.” Leader of the NDP-Traditionalists election alliance Akaki Asatiani, who was an ally of currant authorities during the revolution days, says “one-party Parliament would be disastrous for the country.” Voting in Adjara overshadowed election process in the rest of the Georgia. Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was personally monitoring situation in Adjara on the elections day. In the evening he met with Adjarian leader to discuss developments in the region. “There was no widespread violations in Adjara during the elections day. The reports regarding the attacks and raids on the precincts were not confirmed,” Zurab Zhvania told reporters after talks with Aslan Abashidze. Earlier, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Zurab Tchiaberashvili announced that unknown group of men attacked two precincts in the Autonomous Republic; however independent reports, as well as Adjarian officials and Prime Minister Zhvania denied the information. Officials, as well as local observers say elections were held in normal atmosphere; however some serious violation were reported. The CEC requested to bring criminal cases against several lower level election commission members in the provincial constituencies because of alleged deliberate vote-rigging. The international observers from OSCE and Council of Europe will present the preliminary findings regarding the March 28 parliamentary polls on March 29. The Sunday’s elections were partial rerun of fraudulent November 2, 2003 elections. On November 25 the Supreme Court annulled the results of the proportional component of the November 2 parliamentary elections. In contradiction to this decision, the election results in the single-mandate constituencies were inexplicably permitted to stand. The partial cancellation of the election results meant that only 75 MPs elected in the single-mandate constituencies would take their seats and the new Parliament. While, 11 political parties and 5 election blocs will contest for 150 seats in the legislative body from party lists under a proportional system. Remaining 10 seats in the 235-seat Parliament are occupied by the representatives of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government-in-exile. Georgian authorities, who refused to follow Council of Europe’s recommendation and reduce a 7% threshold, the minimum required to qualify for seats in parliament, expected 70% support in Sunday’s elections. President Saakashvili said before the elections that he would not like to see “sharply confronted opposition” in the legislative.
According to the exit polls the Rightist Opposition – Industrialists-New Rights election bloc received 4,8%; Labor Party – 4,4%; Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze’s party Revival Union – 3,7%; newly created Freedom party, led by Georgia’s late President’s son Konstantine Gamsakhurdia – 3,6%; the Unity Party – 1,6%; NDP-Traditionalists election alliance – 1,4% and Socialists party – 0,5%.
Georgian polling firms IPM Group and BCG conducted exit polls, with the financial assistance of the Open Society – Georgia Foundation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the British Council.
However, 20% of voters refused to tell exit polls to which party they cast ballot.
The Central Election Commission will announce preliminary official results of the elections on March 29.