2024 Georgian parliamentary election

2024 Georgian parliamentary election
← 2020 26 October 2024 2028 →
All 150 seats in Parliament
76 seats needed for a majority
Turnout58.94% (Increase 3.24pp)[1]
 
Leader Irakli Kobakhidze Nika Gvaramia
Nika Melia
Zurab Japaridze
Elene Khoshtaria 		Tina Bokuchava
Alliance GD[a] CfC Unity–NM
Leader since 8 February 2024 9 July 2024 8 July 2024
Last election 90 2[b] 39[c]
Seats before 83 1 25
Seats won 89 19 16
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 17 Decrease 23
Popular vote 1,120,140 229,161 211,120
Percentage 53.94% 11.03% 10.17%
Swing Increase 5.72% New Decrease 23.95%
 
Leader Mamuka Khazaradze Giorgi Gakharia
Alliance Strong Georgia FG[e]
Leader since 17 July 2024 29 May 2021
Last election 6[d] Did not exist
Seats before 5 6
Seats won 14 12
Seat change Increase 8 Increase 12
Popular vote 182,949 161,336
Percentage 8.81% 7.77%
Swing Increase 4.33% New
Composition of the Georgian Parliament after the election:
  Georgian Dream: 89 seats
  Coalition for Change: 19 seats
  Unity – National Movement: 16 seats
  Strong Georgia: 14 seats
  For Georgia: 12 seats
Prime Minister before election

Irakli Kobakhidze
Georgian Dream

Elected Prime Minister

TBD

Politics of Georgia
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Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Local government
Administrative divisions
Election Administration
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Related topics
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Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on 26 October 2024.[2][3][4] The elections were held under the rules passed in 2017 through the constitutional amendments which shifted the electoral system towards a fully proportional representation with a 5% electoral threshold.[5]

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party sought to win its fourth term in office. Its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili—an influential oligarch and former prime minister often regarded as the country's éminence grise following his official departure from politics in 2021—returned to politics several months before the polls to lead GD in the elections.[6]

In its campaign, the Georgian Dream promoted the Global War Party conspiracy theory, promising "safeguarding peace" through a "pragmatic policy" with Russia amid the war in Ukraine;[7][8][9][10] socially conservative policies, particularly the recent "LGBT propaganda law" and strengthening status of Georgian Orthodox Church in the constitution,[11] outlawing most major opposition parties;[12][13][14] joining the European Union whilst "playing by Georgian rules";[15] and restoring the country's territorial integrity, with Ivanishvili making overtures to the Kremlin, and calling for an apology for Georgia's role in the 2008 war.[16][17]

During the pre-election period, the opponents of GD have focused on criticizing what they describe as pro-Russian shift of the party and its unwillingness to fulfill the criteria set by the European Commission for EU accession, campaigning for the European integration.[7][18][19]

The election was preceded by the 2023–2024 Georgian protests over controversial legislation requiring organizations receiving foreign funding to register as "foreign agents", sparking accusations of authoritarianism.[20][21] This law has strained relations with the West; the European Union and the United States initiated a variety of measures against the law, including U.S. visa designations and financial sanctions against several Georgian officials,[22] de facto freezing Georgia's European Union membership candidate status,[23][24] and proposed U.S. Congress MEGOBARI Act and the Georgian People's Act.[25][26] However, these measures have also been criticized by some as interference in Georgia's internal affairs by the US and EU in order to protect the large network of Western-funded NGOs in Georgia.[32]

Based on preliminary results published by Central Election Commission of Georgia, Georgian Dream declared victory in the election with more than 53% of the vote, while the four major opposition coalitions—which agreed not to cooperate with Georgian Dream in the parliament through their Georgian Charter—received 37.78% in total. Georgian Dream posted the highest results in rural areas, particularly in the Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Svaneti, Racha-Lechkhumi, Guria, and Adjara regions, but lost the capital Tbilisi and also Rustavi to the opposition, while only closely winning other major cities. In the capital, GD received 42% of the vote, while the four major opposition coalitions combined received 46%; the smaller libertarian Girchi party won 5.3%. Georgian Dream also dramatically lost to the opposition among the Georgian diaspora.[33]

The four major opposition coalitions and President Salome Zourabichvili claimed that the elections were marred with reported instances of vote-buying and ballot-box stuffing, as well as intimidation and pressure on voters. They accused Georgian Dream of "stealing the election", with Zourabichvili refusing to recognize the official results, which she called "illegitimate".[34][33] The opposition announced that it was going to boycott the new parliament.[35] The European Union and the United States have called for an investigation into these allegations, with the ambassador of the European Union to Georgia Paweł Herczyński stating that "international observers have not declared the elections to be free and fair. Neither have they declared the contrary".[36] On 30 October, the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia launched investigation into the election fraud allegations.[37]

  1. ^ "Polls Close with 58,94% Turnout". Civil Georgia. 26 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Georgia's Central Election Commission reveals date, procedures for 2024 parliamentary vote". Agenda.ge. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  3. ^ "CEC releases information on registration of political parties for 2024 elections". 1TV. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  4. ^ "President signs decree declaring October 26 as date for parliamentary elections". Georgian Public Broadcaster. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference const was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ret was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b "October Elections: Odds, Context, Past Trends". Civil Georgia. 9 October 2024.
  8. ^ "What's at stake in Georgia's October election?". Reuters. 27 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Rising Stakes in Tbilisi as Elections Approach". Civil Georgia. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Georgian Dream promises 'pragmatic policy' with Russia in election programme". OC Media. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference church was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Georgia goes 'North Korea' with bombshell plan to ban main opposition parties". POLITICO. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  13. ^ Mariam Bogveradze (23 August 2024). "კობახიძე აკონკრეტებს, რომელი პარტიების აკრძალვას გეგმავს "ქართული ოცნება"". Netgazeti.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference speaker was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Kakha Kaladze: The Georgian government will play by Georgian rules – if a political decision is made regarding not granting the status, they can keep it for themselves". interpressnews. 15 February 2023.
  16. ^ Benson, Brawley (18 September 2024). "Georgian political boss insults large portion of electorate with apology offer". Eurasianet.
  17. ^ "Ivanishvili: We Need Constitutional Majority to Restore Territorial Integrity". Georgian News. 26 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Georgian Democratic Opposition Parties sign Declaration of Unity". European Parliament. 26 June 2024.
  19. ^ "პროდასავლური ოპოზიციური პარტიების ერთობლივი განცხადება". Droa.ge. Droa. 18 April 2024.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ "BREAKING: U.S. Imposes New Sanctions for Undermining Democracy". Civil Georgia. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  23. ^ "EU grants Georgia candidate status". OC Media. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  24. ^ "EU halts Georgia's accession to the bloc, freezes financial aid over much-criticized law". AP News. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  25. ^ "U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee passes MEGOBARI Act". Georgian Public Broadcaster. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Georgian People's Act Envisaging Sanctions and Review of US-Georgia Relations Introduced in U.S. Senate". Civil Georgia. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference sanch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ Cite error: The named reference valle was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  29. ^ Cite error: The named reference Almut was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  30. ^ Cite error: The named reference sb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  31. ^ "The West's double standards on Georgia's 'foreign agents' bill". Canadian Dimension. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  32. ^ [27][28][29][30][31]
  33. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference off was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ BREAKING: President Zurabishvili Rejects Election Results, Civil.ge: 27 October 2024
  35. ^ Lieven, Anatol (29 October 2024). "An unfortunate rush to judgment in Georgia elections". Responsible Statecraft. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  36. ^ "Statement by the EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski at the Press Conference, following the publication of the 2024 EU Enlargement Report on Georgia". The Diplomatic Service of the European Union. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  37. ^ "Prosecutor Launches Investigation into Election Fraud Allegations, Summons President for Questioning". Civil Georgia. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.


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