The recent parliamentary elections in Georgia have seen the Georgian Dream party, a pro-Russian political group headed by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, set to expand its parliamentary control, based on initial results. This has led to accusations of a rigged election from the pro-Western opposition due to a significant disparity in exit polls.

The Georgian Dream party has reportedly received a little above 54% of the total votes with almost all districts accounted for. The Central Election Commission published these results on October 27, also noting that four opposition parties were likely to pass the 5% threshold required to secure parliamentary seats.

The opposition forces, namely the Coalition for Change, Unity-To Save Georgia, Strong Georgia, and For Georgia, amassed just over 37% of the votes combined. The sizeable difference in vote percentages between the pro-government and opposition exit polls has sparked protests from the opposition.

Georgia’s pro-Western opposition leaders have voiced their intention to refuse recognition of the election results, alleging that the crucial vote was manipulated. In contrast, an exit poll conducted by pro-government Imedi TV showed that Georgian Dream received 56% of the votes, while two opposition exit polls did not show more than 42% for Georgian Dream.

The preliminary results suggest that Georgian Dream will hold 89 of the 150 seats in the parliamentary chamber. This is sufficient to sustain its government, but not enough to allow for significant constitutional changes. The United National Movement, leading the Unity-To Save Georgia coalition, has immediately rejected these results.

The opposition has echoed these sentiments, with leaders from Strong Georgia and the Coalition for Change insisting that they won’t acknowledge the announced results, dubbing the process a “coup d’etat.”

For the first time, Georgia implemented a new electronic ballot-counting system, which only had minor glitches according to the election commission. This system allowed results to be announced just hours after the polls closed.

Georgian Dream, in an attempt to prevent street protests, warned the opposition that any illegal actions will face severe state reaction. Meanwhile, President Salome Zurabishvili, who supports the antigovernment protest movements, took to social media to state that the opposition parties are winning despite alleged election rigging.

With this election being seen as a crucial decision point for the country’s future direction, tensions have escalated. The opposition has framed the vote as a choice between aligning with the West or Russia, and between democracy or authoritarianism. This narrative has been echoed by officials in the United States and Europe, who have criticized Georgian Dream for democratic backsliding.

Reports of scuffles, accusations of fraud, and irregularities in the electoral process have also surfaced, adding to the prevailing tensions. The final election results are expected to be announced on October 27.