Georgia wins general election, opposition disputes results

The Central Election Commission said the ruling Georgian Dream party won Saturday’s parliamentary election with the opposition parties disputing the results.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream claimed victory almost immediately after polls closed, saying it was "rare in the world for the same party to achieve such success in such a difficult situation".

The outcome of this vote ultimately decides whether the country moves towards gaining European Union membership or maintains its close ties to Russia.

Meanwhile, Georgia's opposition has disputed the results of Saturday's election after officials said the ruling party was leading with some 70% of the vote counted.

Shortly after the preliminary results were announced, Tina Bokuchava, leader of the opposition United National Movement (UNM), said the results had been "falsified" and the election "stolen."

EU Reacts

Senior parliamentarians from Europe and Canada have spoken out against the recent elections in Georgia, saying they were neither free nor fair. 

They reported intimidation and vote buying, which undermined the democratic process. 

The joint statement issued from Germany, Canada, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine stated that "the ruling party's actions are incompatible with EU values." 

They warned of a possible "Belarusification" of Georgia if the current government continues its oppressive tactics. 

The countries urged support for Georgia's pro-European citizens and called for sanctions against those responsible for the election fraud, stressing the importance of defending democracy and freedom in the country.