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.
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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.
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