Ruling party says it will receive 44.7% of votes in Kutaisi in municipal race

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says that it will receive 44.7 percent of votes per its own polls in Kutaisi in the October 2 municipal elections, while the party candidate for Kutaisi Mayor Ioseb Khakhaleishvili will win the race by 50.3% of votes. 

 

The party MP Givi Mikanadze said earlier today that the United National Movement opposition party (UNM) will be a second runner in Kutaisi with 32.6% of votes, then will come Alliance of Patriots – 3.1% of votes, For Georgia party – 2.9%, Strategi Agmashenebeli – 2.6%, Girchi More Freedom – 2.5%, Lelo – 2.3%, European Georgia – 2.2%, Citizens – 1.5%, Labour Party – 1.5%, Girchi – 0.4%, United Georgia – 0.4%, other parties – 3.3%. 

 

Mikanadze said that 987 individuals participated in the polls. 

 

He dismissed media reports that there is a confrontation in the ruling party between the party head Irakli Kobakhidze and the GD members. 

 

“We are as united as ever,” Mikanadze said. 

 

The party said on August 13, according to its polls, that they will receive 46.3 per cent of votes in Tbilisi. 

 

GD stated that its Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze will receive 66.2 per cent of votes in the elections, while his major opponent from the UNM  Nika Melia 33.8 per cent of votes. 

 

Mikanadze called on observing organisations to be careful with their election data ‘to prevent speculations,’ referring to the last year’s error of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy in its parallel vote count data.