Georgian Dream party’s Georgy Margvelashvili from ruling coalition is leading in the presidential election in Georgia with 62.07 percent of the vote, the central election commission announced with around 95 percent of the vote counted. David Bakradze, who is supported by outgoing president Mikhail Saakashvili, is second with 21.76 percent, and former parliament speaker, Nino Burdzhanadze, is third with 10.2 per cent. Earlier Imedi TV’s exit polls suggested that Margvelashvili was leading in the presidential election in Georgia with about 68 per cent of the vote. Bakradze was placed second with 17.11 per cent and Burdzhanadze third with 9.33 per cent. An exit poll, performed by German GFK Company for Rustavi 2 channel, also gave a landslide victory to Margvelashvili on 66.7 percent, with his rivals Bakradze and Burdzhanadze having 20.1 and 7.5 per cent respectively.
After the polls closed Margvelashvili was quick to claim victory at a rally in Tbilisi. “I thank you all so much. It is our shared victory,” Margvelashvili told his supporters.
His opponent Bakradze was quick to concede defeat in his televised comments, “I congratulate Giorgi Margvelashvili on his electoral win and the trust expressed in him by the Georgian people.”
In a televised speech on Sunday, the outgoing president, Mikhail Saakashvili urged his supporters to respect the outcome of the election despite it being a “serious deviation” from Georgia’s path towards development.
Full Article: Ruling coalition candidate Margvelashvili leads in Georgia’s presidential election — RT News.