Georgian parliamentary election, 2008

The Georgian parliamentary elections were held in 2008 on 21 May 2008. The party of the ruling president Mikheil Saakashvili won 119 of 150 seats in parliament, which they had a three-quarters majority in parliament.

Bringing forward the election date

After massive opposition protests against President Saakashvili in November 2007, which led by the President to the state of emergency, declared himself this ready to perform early presidential elections in January 2008. In the presidential election on January 6, 2008, which won Saakashvili again, the voters had to decide on two referenda: one concerned the question of whether the election date for the parliamentary elections in October 2008 should be brought forward to May 2008 and on the other was to answer the question whether Georgia should seek to join NATO. Both referendums were answered positively by more than 75 % each of the voters. For this reason, the parliamentary elections took place on the 21st May 2008.

The parties and coalitions situation before the election

In the election were on the one hand, the party of the president, Mikheil Saakashvili, the United National Movement against the United National Council, an opposition coalition of nine parties, which was led by Levan Gachechiladze.

In April 2008 a deep rift National Movement disclosed in the ruling party United ( ENM ). Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze and her supporters were ousted in the composition of ENM - candidate list. In 2004 they were allowed to occupy another 20 to the list places, 2008 was significantly less. Burdschandse not subsequently went as a candidate for the parliamentary elections and said: "I tried to bring those new faces on the list of candidates that really would be very useful for our country, in my opinion, the feel another important reforms committed to new, would introduce more humane strategies. I am sure that without urgent and important innovations, it is difficult in many ways, effectively develop the country. "

Although Georgia was all called to vote. However, de facto could be submitted in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, no or only very few votes, as these areas were not under the control of the central Georgian government. Also because of the conflict in Abkhazia flared up again, found the elections held in very tense mood. President Saakashvili called on his countrymen in the face of pressing domestic and foreign policy issues facing the country on to national unity. The running of the election was accompanied by more than 500 critical, specially traveled observers from various organizations.

Irregularities during the election

On 29 May 2008 the Central Election Commission of Georgia announced that the election results should be canceled in 27 polling stations because there were serious irregularities occurred during the election. In addition, the election results were declared in another 12 polling stations invalid by a court order. This means that 39 of about 3,600 polling stations invalid. The Republican Party of Georgia also called for the cancellation of the election results in the district of Batumi.

Immediately after the election, international reactions

First opinion polls directly after the election showed that the ruling party of President Mikheil Saakashvili, the United National Movement had won the election with a clear majority. The election results, however, were called by the opposition even before the discovery of the first election forecasts as rigged and the opposition called for protests. Levan Gachechiladze, the leader of the opposition alliance announced that the opposition would be closed boycott the newly elected parliament. However, this was rejected by individual party leaders of the opposition alliance.

In initial reactions to the election welcomed several countries, including the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry and EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Javier Solana, the elapsed largely non-violent and broadly without major irregularities choice.

The official results

The Central Election Commission of Georgia announced on 5 June, the official final results known. The turnout was 53.9 %, 56 099 votes were invalid. There was a 5% electoral threshold. In 71 out of 75 constituencies, the party of Saakashvili won a majority of votes. In the constituencies Zageri and Qasbegi ( Stepantsminda ) were candidates of the Republican Party, but not with 3.8% nationwide could skip the 5 percent hurdle successfully. In 8 out of 10 constituencies of the capital Tbilisi, about a quarter of all Georgians living, the party of Saakashvili received the most votes. In two constituencies of Tbilisi ( Wake and Didube ) the nine -party opposition alliance was successful. Compared to the national average, the opposition alliance in Tbilisi was significantly higher share of the vote.

The share of the vote by electoral districts

The following maps show the votes of the four largest parties in the various constituencies.

• Voting shares of Saakashvili's United National Movement. The highest proportion of votes obtained Saakashvili's party in the southern (especially Samtskhe Javakheti - ) and middle parts of the country, the lowest in the capital Tbilisi. > 30 % -40% of votes
• > 40 % -50 % of the votes
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• > 90 % of the votes

• 0% -10 % of the votes
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• > 40 % -50 % of the votes

• 0% -5 % of the votes
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• 0% -5 % of the votes
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• > 20% -25% of votes

Development after the election of the new Parliament

On June 13, 2008 declared twelve elected opposition politicians, including the leader of the nine -party opposition alliance Levan Gachechiladze to give up their parliamentary seats would not perceive in protest against the irregularities in the election. Among the 12 elected MPs are also elected in the constituencies Tbilisi Davit Gamkrelidze Vake and Didube and Davit Saganelidse, which is why in these constituencies during elections must be held. Five more of the 17 elected members of the Oppositionsbündisses, however, have rejected this total opposition and to exercise their mandates. The Christian Democrats announced after talks with the ruling party to want to work constructively in the new parliament.