GD MP Khelashvili: Mtavari Arkhi released ‘fake figures’ in its commissioned Ipsos polls

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP George Khelashvili says that the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi has released fake figures in the Ipsos election run-off polls, which was commissioned by the channel. 

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>And the Ipsos link as accessed on 28 October:<a href=”https://t.co/quWYzKRpGB”>https://t.co/quWYzKRpGB</a><br><br>In PDF:<a href=”https://t.co/IHqmjUB6PP”>https://t.co/IHqmjUB6PP</a></p>&mdash; George Khelashvili (@gkhelash) <a href=”https://twitter.com/gkhelash/status/1453759968163815436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 28, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Khelashvili says that the channel reported that the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party candidate in Zugdidi, Anzor Melia, who is a father of the UNM head Nika Melia, received 54.7 percent of the vote and will come first in the second round of the elections on Saturday, while the Ipsos official webpage says that Melia received 49 percent of the vote and will come second in the race, after the ruling Georgian Dream candidate. 

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili also said that the Ipsos election polls have no credibility. He said that Mtavari Arkhi channel ‘is just using the name of the company’. The polls released by Mtavari Arkhi earlier this week said that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) candidate in Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze will receive 51.6%, while Nika Melia from the United National Movement (UNM) will get 48.4% of the vote, while in four other large cities – Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Zugdidi UNM mayoral candidates are in the lead. Kutaisi: Khatia Dekanoidze (UNM) – 51.7%Ioseb

Khakhaleishvili (GD) – 48.3%

Rustavi: Davit Kirkitadze (UNM) – 53.1%Nino Latsabidze (GD) – 46.9 %

Batumi:Giorgi Kirtadze (UNM) – 51.3%Archil Chikovani (GD) – 48.7%

Zugdidi: Anzor Melia (UNM) – 54.7%Mamuka Tsotseria (GD) – 45.3%

The survey was conducted between October 23-27, with 2,600 participants.  

The run-offs will take place in 20 of 64 constituencies of Georgia, as none of the candidates received at least 51% of the vote in the first round of elections on October 2.