The victory by the Georgian Dream (GD) opposition coalition in the parliamentary elections on October 1 has surprised outside observers. According to the latest official results after practically all votes were counted by the Central Election Commission, the GD, lead by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, received 54.92 percent of the popular vote, while the ruling United National Movement (UNM) of President Mikheil Saakashvili got 40.35 percent. According to preliminary results, in the new Georgian parliament the GD will obtain 82 seats and the UNM will have 68 seats. The opposition is contesting the results in some constituencies, but it seems clear the GD has failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to change the constitution.
Read Full Article »
