Georgian CEC: coalition "Georgian Dream" takes lead with 55 percent after tabulation of 97.03 percent of protocols

In Georgia, at the parliamentary elections, after 97.03 percent of voting protocols from electoral precincts have been counted, the oppositional coalition "Ivanishvili-Georgian Dream" continues to lead with 55 percent of votes. The "United National Movement" Party gained 40.27 percent of votes.

In total, at present, the counting results of the protocols from 3590 (plus 64 special electoral precincts) out from 3766 electoral precincts have been reported.

On October 1, voting at the parliamentary elections was held in Georgia. The elections to the highest legislative body, consisting of 150 members, were held on proportional and majoritarian systems.

1,154,533 voters gave their votes to the coalition "Georgian Dream", and the "United National Movement" Party gained 845,169 votes.

The electoral coalition "Georgy Targamadze-Christian-Democratic Movement" gained 2.04 percent (42,823 votes), and the Labour Party of Georgia gained 1.24 percent (26,058 votes).

Other parties did not gain even one percent of the vote. These are the data of the Central Election Commission of Georgia at 09:00 a.m., published at its website.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili announced that his party went to opposition and invited a representative of the "Georgian Dream" to chair the Parliament and to form the government. While commenting on the preliminary results of the elections, Bidzina Ivanishvili has noted that the resignation of Mikhail Saakashvili after the defeat of the ruling party at the parliamentary elections will be logical and only correct step.