Georgia’s ruling party and opposition parties claimed victory in a parliamentary election on Saturday that they say will determine if the former Soviet republic moves towards the West or leans back towards Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
Rival exit polls gave sharply different projections for the election. One survey showed the ruling party, which has recently moved towards pro-Russian rhetoric, winning comfortably and two other polls showed the opposition would clinch a majority.
An exit poll by the Georgian Dream-supporting Imedi TV channel showed the ruling party winning 56 per cent.
But exit polls by the pro-opposition Formula and Mtavari Arkhi channels showed major gains for pro-Western opposition parties, who they suggested would together be able to form a majority in the 150 seat parliament.
All three television channels showed candidates they respectively supported clapping and celebrating victory.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the ruling party’s reclusive billionaire founder and one-time prime minister, claimed victory.