Georgian parliamentary election, 2012
The parliamentary elections in Georgia in 2012 took place on 1 October 2012. Since Georgia's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, this was the seventh general election. In the elections the party newly established only in April of this year Georgian dream achieved - Democratic Georgia businessman Ivanishvili Bidsina an absolute majority of votes and mandates.
Policy starting
The last parliamentary elections in 2008 won the United National Movement under its chairman and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili with a three-quarters majority. The opposition parties spoke after their defeat of election fraud, but confirmed the vast majority of international election observers who had come there are no major irregularities. In the following years, Saakashvili could therefore rely on a comfortable parliamentary majority. The most momentous event in his reign was the military conflict with Russia in August 2008. This conflict was sparked when trying to Georgia, which is under Russian protection, not internationally recognized South Ossetia as an independent state in a military offensive to regain. Even if the action in the Georgian population was popular, it was a disaster for Georgia. The Georgian troops were beaten back within a few days of the Russian troops and the war left on Georgian soil heavy destruction. Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia and Russia recognized the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states ( de facto quasi- satellite states of Russia). In the years 2009 and 2011 there were several times to mass opposition demonstrations against Saakashvili. On 15 October 2010, five constitutional amendments to the Georgian Constitution were adopted by the Georgian Parliament by a large majority. These constitutional amendments provide that the constitution will be amended so that the president has less powers and for the position of prime minister and the government will be strengthened. This constitutional amendment to the election of the next president, which is scheduled for 2013, come into force. In addition, a relocation of the Parliament seat from the capital, Tbilisi, it was decided in the second largest city of Kutaisi. This should serve to decentralization. On May 26, 2012, the parliament held its first session from in the first half-finished new parliament building.
Shortly before the election date appeared on the Internet on video, showed the torture of prisoners in Georgian prisons. The incidents were condemned by all political parties and led to mass protests, especially in Tbilisi. Arrests were made by prison guards and ladders.
Parties
The United National Movement under Mikheil Saakashvili were compared with 9 opposition parties. On 7 October 2011, the businessman and billionaire Ivanishvili Bidsina publicly declared his intention to form a political party. In a statement Ivanishvili was reported that he also own a French passport in addition to twice the Georgian and Russian citizenship. Then, the Georgian citizenship was revoked. Decided shortly after the Georgian Parliament, that citizens of the European Community are eligible as deputies. On April 19, 2012 founded the Party Ivanishvili Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia ( ქართული ოცნება - დემოკრატიული საქართველო ) and began the campaign on May 27, 2012 For the policy objectives Iwanischwilis a relaxation heard in relation to Russia on political and economic fields, which is why. he was promptly called by the pro-government press as "agent Vladimir Putin ." Ivanishvili promised to give up his French and Russian citizenship and its corporate investments in Russia to sell in the event of an election victory. He accused President Saakashvili of abuse of power and accused him after the end of his second term of office in early 2013 to further want to determine the politics of the country as Prime Minister.
- Party politicians
Bidsina Ivanishvili ( Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia)
Giorgi Targamadze (Christian Democrats)
Kacha Kukawa ( Conservative Party of Georgia )
Selection mode
Were entitled to vote 3,613,851 people, including 305 315 Georgians abroad, of which, however, only 43 176 were registered at Georgian consulates. The number of parliamentary seats was 150, of which 73 elected in single-member constituencies. The remaining 77 seats were filled in accordance with the proportional vote share of the parties on party lists. There was a 5 percent electoral threshold. The constituencies had a very different electorate, the largest ( Kutaisi ) comprised 162 732 voters, the smallest ( the geographically large but sparsely populated region of Kazbegi) counted only 5,810 voters.
Surveys
Beginning of February 2012 was carried out in Georgia, a survey by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs of the United States ( National Democratic Institute for International Affairs NDI). Accordingly, the United National Movement to 47%, the Georgian Dream to 10% and the Christian Democrats came to 3%. In May, a survey conducted by a U.S. research institute (International Republican Institute - IRI) was published - the United National Movement won 45% of the Georgian Dream 15% and 9% Christian. The Georgian Dream accused the U.S. pollsters to want to support and legitimize the possible falsification of the elections by the incumbent Georgian president party. In July, a survey was conducted to parliamentary elections in Georgia Penn Schoen Berland of - the Georgian Dream got 42 % and the United National Movement 41%. According to the ruling party, the survey was forged. In August Greenberg Quinlan Rosner published on the parliamentary elections, a survey - the United National Movement got 46%, the Georgian Dream 24 % and 5% Christian. A month before the election was even released a survey of NDI. Accordingly, the party of the incumbent president Mikhail Saakashvili had 37%, the Georgian dream came, however, only 12%. The opposition protested again against the survey results of the U.S. election research institutes. The last poll before the elections led by Forsa. According to the German research institute of the Georgian Dream 49%, United National Movement won 43 % and 6% Christian.
Irregularities during the election
Shortly after the polls closed special forces stormed the Georgian police polling stations in the district Chaschuri. Observers were expelled and election protocols have been "altered". According to reports the local observer group Transparency International Georgia the Georgian Dream in Chaschuri were very much in the lead before the polling stations were stormed by special units of the government. The published after local election result then recorded a victory of the United National Movement. On the same night it came then to serious clashes between police units and the residents of Chaschuri. Also, in some polling stations in Gori and Sighnaghi there were irregularities. The official election results also showed there a victory for the candidate of Saakashvili's United National Movement.
Under pressure from the opposition then it came in some polling stations in Chaschuri, Gori and Sighnaghi to new elections. In Gori, the Georgian Dream got 91.9 % of the votes, 93.6 % in Chaschuri and in Sighnaghi 85.97 %. The ruling party remained far behind and was in Gori 7.41 %, in Sighnaghi 14.03 % of the vote. In Chaschuri the candidate of the United National Movement renounced his candidacy
Results
Immediately after the election claimed both main protagonists, Saakashvili and Ivanishvili, the victory. After the first preliminary results, however, apparent that the Georgian dream of Ivanishvili had won the election and Saakashvili admitted on October 2, the defeat of his party a. The turnout was 59.8 %, which was slightly higher than in the general elections in 2008 (then 53.9 %). Was highest voter turnout in the capital Tbilisi, about a quarter of all Georgians living and is a stronghold of opposition to Saakashvili. The international reaction to the electoral victory of the party Iwanischwilis were predominantly positive. The EU Commission, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev congratulated the election winner. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE ) described the elections as free and democratic, but also lamented an atmosphere of intimidation.
In the final analysis, only two parties were represented in the new parliament, Saakashvili's United National Movement and Iwanischwilis Georgian Dream. All other parties failed due to the 5 % threshold.
The opposition won in all major cities of the country except Zugdidi. In Tbilisi, the opposition reached 72%, 57.4 % in Kutaisi, Batumi, 65.4 %, 56.3 % in Rustavi, Gori in 47.9 %, 58.6 % in Poti, in Samtredia 65.0 %, in Chaschuri 58.2 %. A particularly high score of over 90% was achieved by the Georgian Dream in constituency Sachkhere where Ivanishvili was born and in many cases as a philanthropist ( ie financier of schools, churches, hospitals and other public buildings) has operated. The party of the incumbent president Mikheil Saakashvili got the most votes in Lower Kartli and Samtskhe Javakheti, where Armenians and Azeris make up the majority of the population. In Ninotsminda the United National Movement with 79.59 % of the vote in Marneuli won 78.9 %, 76.5% in Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe in 75.0 %, in Aspindza 71.4%, 67.8 % in Zalka, Dmanisi in 69.8 %, 67.0 % in Bolnisi.
66.3 % of foreign Georgians voted for the Georgian Dream and 28.1 % for the United National Movement. Of the Georgians living in Germany the Georgian Dream got 77.3 % of the vote, the president's party came to 18%.
Statewide Results
- Georgian Dream ( 87)
- United National Movement (63 )
Results by constituencies
- Relative share of votes for the Georgian Dream: > 10-20%
- > 20-30 %
- > 30-40 %
- > 40-50 %
- > 50-60 %
- > 60-70 %
- > 70-80 %
- > 80-90 %
- > 90%
- ≤ 10%
- > 10-20%
- > 20-30 %
- > 30-40 %
- > 40-50 %
- > 50-60 %
- > 60-70 %
- > 70-80 %