In runoff elections held this past weekend across Georgia, Georgian citizens voted in favor of the governing Georgian Dream party, adding additional Parliamentary seats for the Georgian Dream party. As result of the recent elections, the number of political parties gaining seats in Parliament increased to nine, up from four in 2016 reflecting the growing democratization and representation in Georgia.
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said, “The trust vested by Georgian voters in politicians in both election rounds implies a great deal of responsibility. And every politician must take on this responsibility, and political processes must move into political formats, in Parliament. This is what matters now. However great the difference between us, we must learn how to negotiate, how to assume responsibility, and how to work together. This is what we are mandated by our citizens and voters to do. This is how democratic, European states are built.”
In the first round, Georgian Dream gained 48% of the vote, followed in second by the leading opposition party UNM, with 27%. Returns in the weekend’s second and final round clearly indicate that Georgian voters continue to embrace policies, programs and priorities of the Georgian Dream party that currently governs the country.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has been assiduous in making sure the elections run smoothly, and all voters, including those in some level of Covid quarantine, have the chance to vote. The CEC announced that a total of 1,914 polling stations were open for voters on November 21, along with 9 exceptional precincts and 81 special precincts for those who are going under treatment at hospitals and are in quarantine or self-isolating due to coronavirus.
International observers of the first round of general elections universally considered the elections free and fair and noted the extraordinary validation by the people of Georgia who turned out in record numbers notwithstanding the challenge of the restrictions posed by the Covid pandemic.
Sadly, many opposition parties chose to boycott the runoff out of the false assertion that the original round of voting was not free and fair – a characterization roundly rejected by the international community.
The US Department of State and US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan have made clear that the opposition should stop the protests and join Parliament. As one US official noted, the opposition should “resolve disputes, strengthening the election process rather than rejecting it” and that “to see them calling for a boycott again is like watching the same movie again.”