Rival sides claim victory in Georgia’s key elections

Rival exit polls release significantly different projections for the parliamentary election.

Georgia’s governing party and the opposition groups have claimed victory in the key parliamentary elections, each pointing to different exit poll numbers, while all eyes remain on the results that will determine the future path of the former Soviet republic.

One of the surveys showed the governing Georgian Dream party winning comfortably while two other polls projected the pro-West opposition to win a majority.

The union of four opposition alliances received a combined 51.9 percent of the vote, with the governing Georgian Dream party on 40.9 percent, according to an exit poll commissioned by a pro-opposition TV station from US pollster Edison Research.

An exit poll by the Georgian Dream-supporting Imedi TV channel showed the governing party winning 56 percent.