Georgia Ruling Party Leads Parliament Elections in Divisive Vote

  • Election commission said ruling party has 53% of votes
  • Opposition earlier claimed elections victory after exit polls
Bidzina Ivanishvili during the final campaign rally of the ruling Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi on Oct 23.Photographer: Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP/Getty Images
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Georgia’s ruling party is leading in parliamentary elections Saturday in a vote that could determine the country’s chances of joining the European Union and NATO.

The ruling Georgian Dream got almost 53%, the election commission said after counting over 72% of the total votes. Its four main rivals, which have pledged to support a charter drawn up by President Salome Zourabichvili to pass pro-EU reforms as part of a yearlong technocratic government, all passed the 5% threshold to get into parliament and jointly have over 38% as of 10:55 p.m local time.