Russia-leaning Georgia Dream party wins elections; pro-EU opposition refuses to concede

Oct. 28 (UPI) -- The ruling Russia-leaning Georgia Dream Party claimed victory in elections over the weekend in the former Soviet satellite, bringing cries of stolen results from pro-Western opposition groups on Sunday.

Georgia Dream, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, received 54% of the vote with 99% of the districts counted, according to the country's central campaign commission. The party seemed to be supported by a strong turnout in the South Caucasus state, which is next to Russia, in other rural outlets.

"It is a rare case in the world that the same party achieves such success in such a difficult situation," Ivanishvili said after the vote, according to The Guardian. "This is a good indicator of the talent of the Georgian people."

Results released by the central election commission showed the Georgia Dream Party winning by as much as 90% in some rural areas but performing poorly in larger cities.

Opposition groups, however, reported violence outside of polling locations, making it difficult for their supporters to cast their vote.

Tina Bokuchava, of the Western polling organization United National Movement, said its exit polling was significantly different from official counts form the central commission.

One opposition TV channel Edison gave anti-Georgia Dream groups a 51.9% to 40.9% lead while a HarrisX TV channel gave them a 48% to 42%. But the leading government-supported Imedi TV said its exit polls gave the Georgia Dream 56% of the vote.

The opposition refused to concede, alleging a "constitutional coup" by Georgia Dream, as Georgia's president, Salome Zourabichvili, said the vote was impacted by a "Russian special operation."

The loss appears to be a spoiled effort by opposition forces who wanted to continue Georgia's push to join the European Union, which is currently in jeopardy after the legislators passed its "foreign agents" law.

Opposition groups formed large protests against the law that were eventually put down violently by security forces. It was unclear if the election results would spark similar demonstrations.