Georgian presidential election, 2018

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Georgian presidential election, 2018
Flag of Georgia.svg
←  2013 28 October 2018 (first round)
28 November 2018 (second round)		2024 →
Registered3,518,877 [1]
Turnout46.83% (first round)
56.5% (second round)
Reporting
100%
as of 29 November 2018 GMT
  Salome Zurabishvili cropped.jpg Grigol Vashadze (cropped).jpg
Candidate Salome Zurabishvili Grigol Vashadze
Party Independent UNM
Alliance Georgian Dream Strength is in Unity
Popular vote1,147,687780,674
Percentage59.52%40.48%
Georgian presidential election 2018-tier 1.svg
First round results by region or municipality
President before election

Giorgi Margvelashvili
Independent

Elected President

Salome Zurabishvili
Independent (Georgian Dream)

Presidential elections were held in Georgia on 28 October 2018, the seventh presidential elections since the country's restoration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The last elections in October 2013 resulted in a victory for Giorgi Margvelashvili, a candidate of the Georgian Dream coalition.

Georgia (country) Country in the Caucasus region

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometres (26,911 sq mi), and its 2017 population is about 3.718 million. Georgia is a unitary semi-presidential republic, with the government elected through a representative democracy.

Elections in Georgia (country) elections in the country Georgia

Elections in Georgia gives information on elections and election results in Georgia. An election is a process in which a vote is held to elect candidates to an office. It is the mechanism by which a democracy fills elective offices in the legislature, and sometimes the executive and judiciary, and in which electorates choose local government officials.

Soviet Union 1922–1991 country in Europe and Asia

The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a socialist state in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991. Nominally a union of multiple national Soviet republics, its government and economy were highly centralized. The country was a one-party state, governed by the Communist Party with Moscow as its capital in its largest republic, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Other major urban centres were Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Alma-Ata, and Novosibirsk. It spanned over 10,000 kilometres east to west across 11 time zones, and over 7,200 kilometres north to south. It had five climate zones: tundra, taiga, steppes, desert and mountains.

Contents

Following amendments to the constitution in 2017, the 2018 elections will be the last direct presidential vote; after 2018 presidents will be elected by the 300-member College of Electors. In view of these changes, the President will be elected for a term of six years in 2018. [2]

Constitution of Georgia (country)

The Constitution of Georgia is the supreme law of Georgia. It was approved by the Parliament of Georgia on 24 August 1995 and entered into force on 17 October 1995. The Constitution replaced the Decree on State Power of November 1992 which had functioned as an interim basic law following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

A second round involving Salome Zurabishvili and Grigol Vashadze was held on 28 November 2018 because no candidate was able to secure at least 50% of the vote in the first round. [3] Salome Zurabishvili won with around 60% of the vote [4] and will be taking office on 16 December 2018.

Grigol Vashadze Georgian politician, diplomat and a former member of the Cabinet of Georgia in the capacity of the Minister for Culture, Heritage Preservation and Sport (2008) and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia (2008–2012)

Grigol Vashadze is a Georgian politician, diplomat and a former member of the Cabinet of Georgia in the capacity of the Minister for Culture, Heritage Preservation and Sport (2008) and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia (2008–2012).

Candidates

46 people applied to participate in the elections, 21 of which were rejected by the Election Administration of Georgia. [5] 25 presidential candidates were registered by the Election Administration of Georgia. [5] [6] This is the largest number since Georgia's first presidential election in 1991. [7] All 25 candidates were included on the ballot paper. [8]

Election Administration of Georgia

The Election Administration of Georgia is a permanent independent non-partisan body responsible for organizing national elections and referendums in Georgia in accordance with the Constitution of Georgia and the Electoral Code of Georgia.

NameOccupationNominated by
1 Mikheil Antadze ProfessorState for the People Movement
2 Davit Bakradze Member of Parliament European Georgia
4 Vakhtang Gabunia PoliticianChristian‐Democratic Movement
5 Grigol Vashadze Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (2008-2012) United National Movement
10 Shalva Natelashvili Leader of Georgian Labour Party Georgian Labour Party
13 Zviad Mekhatishvili PoliticianChristian‐Conservative Party of Georgia
17 Giorgi Liluashvili Vice President of Georgian National AcademyParty Georgia
18 Akaki Asatiani Politician Union of Georgian Traditionalists
21 Kakha Kukava PoliticianFree Georgia
22 Otar Meunargia Industry Will Save Georgia
23 Irakli Gorgadze UnemployedMovement for a Free Georgia
25 David Usupashvili Leader of Development Movement, former chairman of the Parliament of Georgia Free Democrats
27 Zviad Baghdavadze UnemployedCivic Platform – New Georgia
28 Mikheil Saluashvili PoliticianUnion of Justice Restoration of the Nation: The Lord Is Our Truth
30 Zviad Iashvili UnemployedNational‐Democratic Party
31 Tamar Tskhoragauli EntrepreneurPolitical Movement Freedom – Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s Way
35 Gela Khutsishvili PoliticianPolitical Movement of the Veterans and Patriots of Georgia
36 Zurab Japaridze Leader of Girchi Girchi
40 Levan Chkheidze Chkheidze and Partners Law FirmNew Christian‐Democrats
48 Salome Zurabishvili Member of ParliamentInitiative Group of Voters
49 Besarion Tediashvili Founder of TF ConstructionInitiative Group of Voters
51 Giorgi Andriadze Deputy Chairperson of the Commission for Learning Christian Theology and History of Religion at the Georgian Academy of Sciences Initiative Group of Voters
58 Kakhaber Chichinadze EntrepreneurInitiative Group of Voters
62 Vladimer Nonikashvili Director of Publishing House ParagraphInitiative Group of Voters
65 Teimuraz Shashiashvili UnemployedInitiative Group of Voters

Declined

Democratic Movement

Nino Burjanadze Georgian politician

Nino Burjanadze is a Georgian politician and lawyer who served as Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia from November 2001 to June 2008. As the first woman she has served as the acting head of state of Georgia twice; the first time from 23 November 2003 to 25 January 2004 in the wake of Eduard Shevardnadze's resignation during the Rose Revolution, and again from 25 November 2007 to 20 January 2008, when Mikheil Saakashvili stepped down to rerun in the early presidential elections. She withdrew into opposition to Saakashvili as the leader of the Democratic Movement-United Georgia party in 2008. In October 2013, she ran for president in the October 2013 election. She ran against 22 candidates and ended third with 10 percent of the vote.

Parliament of Georgia parliament

The Parliament of Georgia the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members; of these, 77 are proportional representatives and 73 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies. According to the 2017 constitutional amendments, the Parliament will transfer to fully proportional representation in 2024.

President of Georgia position

The President of Georgia is the constitutional Head of State of Georgia as well as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces. They represent Georgia in foreign relations. The constitution defines the presidential office as "the guarantor of the country’s unity and national independence."

Independent

Giorgi Margvelashvili Georgian statesman

Giorgi Margvelashvili is a Georgian academic and politician who was the fourth President of Georgia, in office from 17 November 2013 to 16 December 2018.

Opinion polls

From 2018
PollsterDate Bakradze
EG 		Vashadze
UNM 		Zurabishvili
Independent 		Natelashvili
Labour 		Usupashvili
DM 		Japaridze
Girchi 		Burjanadze
DMUG 		TBD
APG 		Margvelashvili
Independent 		Elisashvili
Independent 		Kukava
FG 		Bregadze
GM 		None of the Above
EXIT POLLS:
BCG 		28.10.1817%37%34%5%---------
EXIT POLLS:
Psychoportrait 		28.10.189%28%52%2%2%3%-------
EXIT POLLS:
Edison Research 		28.10.1810%40%40%3%2%3%-------
Election day (28 October)
BCG 20.10.18-24.10.1830%27%33%4%2%--------
Edison Research 15.10.18-24.10.1816%37%32%6%--------8%
IPN, Ambebi.ge, Kvirispalitra.ge 24.10.185%27%31%3%11%5%------18%
Edison Research 25.09.18-4.10.1815%31%16%7%3%-------21%
BCG 15-22 September 201829%28%21%10%6%-------6%
Edison Research 3-23 September 201818%22%15%8%3%2%------32%
Primary August-September 201818.9%43.9%8.8%5.7%2.1%----3.9%8%--
Newposts August 201815%25%12%4%2%-------33%
Allnews 2 August 20185%18%19%---8%-6%10%--30%
Metronome August 20185%37%8%2%3%27%3%-2%2%--8%
NDI 23.06.18 —08.07.186%10%12%4%----6%----
IRI 01.04.18 —22.04.1816%8%17%1%---3%10%----

Second round

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		 Vashadze
UNM 		Zurabishvili
Independent 		Undecided
EXIT POLLS:
Gallup International 		28.11.1843%57%-
EXIT POLLS:
Edison Research 		28.11.1845%52%-
Second round (28 November)
Edison Research 12-18 November 201852%48%-
Pollitic 18-25 November 201870%30%-
Gallup International 16-18 November 201848%52%-
Edison Research 1–9 November 201841%36%23%
First round (28 October)
BCG 20–24 October 201839%27%-
Edison Research 15–24 October 201844%29%27%
BCG 15–22 September 201840%19%40%
Edison Research 14–23 September 201850%24%26%

Approval ratings

DatePollsterSample size
Apr 2018IRI1,500
March 2018NDI2,194
 
Giorgi Kvirikashvili
Yes check.svg X mark.svg N/O
41527
251658
 
David Bakradze
Yes check.svg X mark.svg N/O
53407
341847
 
Grigol Vashadze
Yes check.svg X mark.svg N/O
325216
152164
 
Giorgi Margvelashvili
Yes check.svg X mark.svg N/O
52426
261857
 
Shalva Natelashvili
Yes check.svg X mark.svg N/O
34588
–––
 
Nino Burjanadze
Yes check.svg X mark.svg N/O
23734
–––

Results

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Salomé Zurabishvili Independent 615,57238.641,147,68759.52
Grigol Vashadze United National Movement 601,22437.74780,67440.48
Davit Bakradze European Georgia 174,84910.97
Shalva Natelashvili Georgian Labour Party 59,6513.74
David Usupashvili Development Movement 36,0372.26
Zurab Japaridze Girchi 36,0342.26
Kakha Kukava Free Georgia 21,1861.33
Giorgi Andriadze Independent 13,1330.82
Teimuraz Shashiashvili Independent 9,4810.60
Tamar Tskhoragauli Freedom - Zviad Gamsakhurdia's Way 4,0040.25
Besarion Tediashvili Independent 3,7130.23
Mikheil SaluashviliUnion for the Restoration of Justice2,9700.19
Levan ChkheidzeNew Christian Democrats2,8950.18
Akaki Asatiani Union of Georgian Traditionalists 1,9940.13
Vakhtang Gabunia Christian Democratic Movement 1,9580.12
Gela KhutsishviliGeorgian Veterans' and Patriots' Political Movement1,6230.10
Kakhaber Chichinadze Independent 1,4180.09
Mikheil Antadze State for the People 1,0740.07
Giorgi LiluashviliGeorgia Party8920.06
Zviad MekhatishviliGeorgan Christian-Conservative Party7130.04
Otar Meunargia Industry Will Save Georgia 6640.04
Vladimer Nonikashvili Independent 6330.04
Irakli GorgadzeMovement for a Free Georgia5310.03
Zviad BaghdavadzeCitizen Platform - New Georgia4770.03
Zviad Iashvili National Democratic Party 4440.03
Invalid/blank votes53,847––
Total1,647,878100
Registered voters/turnout3,518,87746.83
Source: CEC, CEC

Reactions

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated that the elections were "competitive and professionally administered," but noted concerned about a "substantial imbalance in donations", "excessively high spending limits", and a "lack of analytical reporting" as contributing factors to creating an unlevel playing field. [13]

On 29 November, the second day after the run-off results were released, the United National Movement leader-in-exile Mikheil Saakashvili encouraged supporters not to accept the election results and to hold demonstrations against the newly elected president. He also called for civil disobedience toward the police and armed forces.

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References

  1. ↑ "Certified Official Results of the 28 October 2018 First Round of the Georgian Presidential Election" (PDF). Central Election Commission (in Georgian). Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  2. ↑ "Key Points of Newly Adopted Constitution". Civil Georgia. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Second Round of Presidential Election will be Held on November 28". Central Election Commission. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "Results 2018". Central Election Commission. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  5. 1 2 25 Presidential Candidates are Registered for October 28, 2018 Elections
  6. ↑ October 28, 2018 Presidential Elections of Georgia Registered Presidential Candidates
  7. ↑ "Presidential Elections 2018: Weekly Digest No.2". Civil.ge:. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  8. ↑ The Term for Presidential Candidates to Withdraw their Candidacies has Expired
  9. ↑ "Presidential Candidate Zurabishvili Claims Georgia Started August 2008 War". Georgia Today on the Web. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  10. ↑ "Nino Burjanadze boycotts presidential election". Interpressnews. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "Current president Giorgi Margvelashvili not to run in presidential elections". Agenda.ge. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  12. ↑ "Goodbye, Mr. President". Georgia Today on the Web. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  13. ↑ ¢Voters had a genuine choice and candidates campaigned freely, but on an unlevel playing field, international observers say Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, press release of 29 October 2018.
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