Video: Georgia’s Fate is Being Decided for the Coming Years, Says Salome Zurabishvili

On October 26, parliamentary elections are taking place in Georgia, which will determine the country's political course for the coming years. Georgia's leaders, including President Salome Zurabishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, have already cast their votes in Tbilisi polling stations.

This was reported by Sputnik Georgia. President Salome Zurabishvili, who arrived at the polling station located on Kote Apkhaz street in central Tbilisi, was the first among Georgia's leaders to participate in the voting. After casting her vote, she made a statement for the press: “I voted for a new Georgia, the kind of Georgia for which I came here 22 years ago, the Georgia for which my ancestors have prayed.”

Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili voted at a polling station in the city’s Baghebi district. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has also participated in the elections. The ruling “Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia” party, which has been in power since 2012, is aiming to achieve victory for the fourth time. Georgian media reports that 18 parties are competing for parliamentary mandates.

The main rivals of “Georgian Dream” include four opposition parties: “United National Movement,” founded by former President Mikheil Saakashvili, “Gakharia for Georgia” led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, “Strong Georgia,” and “Coalition for Change.” These four parties plan to create a coalition government if they gain more parliamentary mandates than “Georgian Dream.” The ruling party intends not just to win but to secure a constitutional majority, meaning at least 113 out of the 150 mandates. As party leaders have stated, this is necessary to declare Saakashvili's party and its associated opposition parties unconstitutional.

The traditional-value supporting “Patriots’ Alliance” is also looking to surpass the 5% threshold to enter parliament. This party has united with the “Alt-Info” conservative movement for the elections. A significant innovation is that these elections will be the first to utilize electronic systems for ballot processing. Voters will be checked with special devices at polling stations, and ballots will be placed not in ballot boxes but in electronic reading devices. This technology is installed in 74% of polling stations across the country, covering 90% of voters. Electronic ballot boxes allow for votes to be counted with the press of a button immediately after the elections, also minimizing the risk of vote fraud.

Overall, 3,111 polling stations will open for more than 3.5 million voters in Georgia and abroad. In 42 countries outside of Georgia, 67 polling stations will be opened. The voting process began at 8:00 local time and will end at 20:00.