Ivanishvili Expects GDDG’s Landslide Election Victory

Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili said he expects the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) party, which he founded more than four years ago, will win at least 48% of votes in party-list, proportional race and at least 60 majoritarian MP seats in the October 8 parliamentary elections.

“I think the Georgian Dream will receive at least 48 percent and maximum 54 percent of votes and in the majoritarian race it will endorse minimum 60 and maximum 70 candidates,” Ivanishvili said on Monday, five days before the elections.

GDDG has majoritarian MP candidates in 72 out of 73 single-member election districts. Remaining 77 seats in the 150-member parliament are distributed proportionally among the parties, which clear 5% threshold in nationwide vote.

He said that there will be second round runoffs in many single-mandate districts, because there are many candidates and it will split votes.

“So it will be difficult to garner over 50 percent of votes [required for an outright victory] in the first round,” Ivanishvili said.

He also said that UNM opposition party “won’t be able to win in any of the majoritarian district… neither in Zugdidi” municipality, where Georgia’s former first lady Sandra Roelofs is running as UNM’s majoritarian MP candidate.

“It’s as clear as two and two makes four,” Ivanishvili said.

He also said that Free Democrats opposition party, led by ex-defense minister Irakli Alasania, has a “chance” to show the second best result in the elections. “That would be good,” he added.

“It will be a multi-party parliament and I think five or six parties will have [representation],” Ivanishvili said.

“I won’t be a tragedy if [UNM] fails to clear [5%] threshold, but it would not be bad if UNM is represented in the Parliament by at least five members in order not to let people forget about them and about what they represent and on the other hand the Parliament should be multi-party, I always supported it. Georgian Dream is now a dominant party… it will have at least 90 and maximum 110 or possibly even more [in the next Parliament]… and the Georgian Dream will not require to enter into coalition [with other parties] in order to form a government,” Ivanishvili said.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)