2018 Georgian presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Georgia on 28 October 2018, the seventh presidential elections since the country's restoration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The previous elections in October 2013 resulted in a victory for Giorgi Margvelashvili, a candidate of the Georgian Dream coalition.

2018 Georgian presidential election

28 October 2018 (first round) 28 November 2018 (second round)
Registered	3,518,877[1]
Turnout	46.83% (first round) 56.5% (second round)
Candidate Salome Zurabishvili Grigol Vashadze Party Independent ENM Alliance Georgian Dream Strength is in Unity Popular vote 1,147,701 780,680 Percentage 59.52% 40.48%
First round results by region or municipality
President before election Giorgi Margvelashvili Independent Elected President Salome Zurabishvili Independent (Georgian Dream)

Following amendments to the constitution in 2017, the 2018 elections will be the last direct presidential vote; after 2018 presidents will be elected by the 300-member College of Electors. In view of these changes, the President will be elected for a term of six years in 2018.[2]

A second round involving Salome Zurabishvili and Grigol Vashadze was held on 28 November 2018 because no candidate was able to secure at least 50% of the vote in the first round.[3] Salome Zurabishvili won with around 60% of the vote in the second round[4] and took office on 16 December 2018.

The pre-election campaign was marred by a polarized political environment and a series of secret tape recordings aired by the pro-opposition Rustavi 2 TV, leading to allegations of kidnappings and torture by investigators to secure convictions, pressure and coercion on businesses and media, high-level corruption, and selective justice.[5] International observers assessed the elections as competitive and free, stressing that "one side enjoyed an undue advantage and the negative character of the campaign on both sides undermined the process", while the misuse of administrative resources "blurred the line between party and state."[6] However, Transparency International, based on information from a state agency employee, alleged that state agencies were publishing fake identity cards to allow Zourabichvili supporters to cast multiple ballots in the election. According to the plan, five fake IDs were published per individual, and "trustworthy" officials of agencies were vested with the duty of conducting such action.[7]

Candidates

46 people applied to participate in the elections, 21 of which were rejected by the Election Administration of Georgia.[8] 25 presidential candidates were registered by the Election Administration of Georgia.[8][9] This is the largest number since Georgia's first presidential election in 1991.[10] All 25 candidates were included on the ballot paper.[11]

	Name	Occupation	Nominated by
1	Mikheil Antadze	Professor	State for the People Movement
2	Davit Bakradze	Member of Parliament	European Georgia
4	Vakhtang Gabunia	Politician	Christian‐Democratic Movement
5	Grigol Vashadze	Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (2008-2012)	United National Movement
10	Shalva Natelashvili	Leader of Georgian Labour Party	Georgian Labour Party
13	Zviad Mekhatishvili	Politician	Christian‐Conservative Party of Georgia
17	Giorgi Liluashvili	Vice President of Georgian National Academy	Party Georgia
18	Akaki Asatiani	Politician	Union of Georgian Traditionalists
21	Kakha Kukava	Politician	Free Georgia
22	Otar Meunargia		Industry Will Save Georgia
23	Irakli Gorgadze	Unemployed	Movement for a Free Georgia
25	David Usupashvili	Leader of Development Movement, former chairman of the Parliament of Georgia	Free Democrats
27	Zviad Baghdavadze	Unemployed	Civic Platform – New Georgia
28	Mikheil Saluashvili	Politician	Union of Justice Restoration of the Nation: The Lord Is Our Truth
30	Zviad Iashvili	Unemployed	National‐Democratic Party
31	Tamar Tskhoragauli	Entrepreneur	Political Movement Freedom – Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s Way
35	Gela Khutsishvili	Politician	Political Movement of the Veterans and Patriots of Georgia
36	Zurab Japaridze	Leader of Girchi	Girchi
40	Levan Chkheidze	Chkheidze and Partners Law Firm	New Christian‐Democrats
48	Salome Zurabishvili	Member of Parliament	Initiative Group of Voters
49	Besarion Tediashvili	Founder of TF Construction	Initiative Group of Voters
51	Giorgi Andriadze	Deputy Chairperson of the Commission for Learning Christian Theology and History of Religion at the Georgian Academy of Sciences	Initiative Group of Voters
58	Kakhaber Chichinadze	Entrepreneur	Initiative Group of Voters
62	Vladimer Nonikashvili	Director of Publishing House Paragraph	Initiative Group of Voters
65	Teimuraz Shashiashvili	Unemployed	Initiative Group of Voters

Withdrawn

Democratic Movement

• Nino Burjanadze, Georgian politician and lawyer who served as Chairman of Parliament of Georgia (2001-2008). She has served as the acting President of Georgia twice.[12] She backed out of the election on 8 September.[13]

Declined

Independent

• Giorgi Margvelashvili, incumbent President, officially refused to take part in the election in late August.[14][15]

Opinion polls

From 2018

Pollster	Date	Bakradze EG	Vashadze UNM	Zurabishvili Independent	Natelashvili Labour	Usupashvili DM	Japaridze Girchi	Burjanadze DMUG	TBD APG	Margvelashvili Independent	Elisashvili Independent	Kukava FG	Bregadze GM	None of the Above
EXIT POLLS: BCG	28.10.18	17%	37%	34%	5%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
EXIT POLLS: Psychoportrait	28.10.18	9%	28%	52%	2%	2%	3%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
EXIT POLLS: Edison Research	28.10.18	10%	40%	40%	3%	2%	3%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Election day (28 October)
BCG	20.10.18-24.10.18	30%	27%	33%	4%	2%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Edison Research	15.10.18-24.10.18	16%	37%	32%	6%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8%
IPN, Ambebi.ge, Kvirispalitra.ge	24.10.18	5%	27%	31%	3%	11%	5%	-	-	-	-	-	-	18%
Edison Research	25.09.18-4.10.18	15%	31%	16%	7%	3%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21%
BCG	15–22 September 2018	29%	28%	21%	10%	6%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6%
Edison Research	3–23 September 2018	18%	22%	15%	8%	3%	2%	-	-	-	-	-	-	32%
Primary	August–September 2018	18.9%	43.9%	8.8%	5.7%	2.1%	-	-	-	-	3.9%	8%	-	-
Newposts	August 2018	15%	25%	12%	4%	2%	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	33%
Allnews	2 August 2018	5%	18%	19%	-	-	-	8%	-	6%	10%	-	-	30%
Metronome	August 2018	5%	37%	8%	2%	3%	27%	3%	-	2%	2%	-	-	8%
NDI	23.06.18 —08.07.18	6%	10%	12%	4%	-	-	-	-	6%	-	-	-	-
IRI	01.04.18 —22.04.18	16%	8%	17%	1%	-	-	-	3%	10%	-	-	-	-

Second round

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Vashadze UNM	Zurabishvili Independent	Undecided
EXIT POLLS: Gallup International	28.11.18	43%	57%	-
EXIT POLLS: Edison Research	28.11.18	45%	55%	-
Second round (28 November)
Edison Research	12–18 November 2018	52%	48%	-
Pollitic	18–25 November 2018	70%	30%	-
Gallup International	16–18 November 2018	48%	52%	-
Edison Research	1–9 November 2018	41%	36%	23%
First round (28 October)
BCG	20–24 October 2018	39%	27%	-
Edison Research	15–24 October 2018	44%	29%	27%
BCG	15–22 September 2018	40%	19%	40%
Edison Research	14–23 September 2018	50%	24%	26%

Approval ratings

Date Pollster Sample size Apr 2018 IRI 1,500 March 2018 NDI 2,194

Giorgi Kvirikashvili N/O 41 52 7 25 16 58

David Bakradze N/O 53 40 7 34 18 47

Grigol Vashadze N/O 32 52 16 15 21 64

Giorgi Margvelashvili N/O 52 42 6 26 18 57

Shalva Natelashvili N/O 34 58 8 – – –

Nino Burjanadze N/O 23 73 4 – – –

Results

Candidate		Party	First round		Second round
			Votes	%	Votes	%
	Salomé Zurabishvili	Independent (Georgian Dream)	615,572	38.64	1,147,701	59.52
	Grigol Vashadze	United National Movement	601,224	37.74	780,680	40.48
	Davit Bakradze	European Georgia	174,849	10.97
	Shalva Natelashvili	Georgian Labour Party	59,651	3.74
	David Usupashvili	Development Movement	36,037	2.26
	Zurab Japaridze	Girchi	36,034	2.26
	Kakha Kukava	Free Georgia	21,186	1.33
	Giorgi Andriadze	Independent	13,133	0.82
	Teimuraz Shashiashvili	Independent	9,481	0.60
	Tamar Tskhoragauli	Freedom - Zviad Gamsakhurdia's Way	4,004	0.25
	Besarion Tediashvili	Independent	3,713	0.23
	Mikheil Saluashvili	Union for the Restoration of Justice	2,970	0.19
	Levan Chkheidze	New Christian Democrats	2,895	0.18
	Akaki Asatiani	Union of Georgian Traditionalists	1,994	0.13
	Vakhtang Gabunia	Christian Democratic Movement	1,958	0.12
	Gela Khutsishvili	Georgian Veterans' and Patriots' Political Movement	1,623	0.10
	Kakhaber Chichinadze	Independent	1,418	0.09
	Mikheil Antadze	State for the People	1,074	0.07
	Giorgi Liluashvili	Georgia Party	892	0.06
	Zviad Mekhatishvili	Georgian Christian-Conservative Party	713	0.04
	Otar Meunargia	Industry Will Save Georgia	664	0.04
	Vladimer Nonikashvili	Independent	633	0.04
	Irakli Gorgadze	Movement for a Free Georgia	531	0.03
	Zviad Baghdavadze	Citizen Platform - New Georgia	477	0.03
	Zviad Iashvili	National Democratic Party	444	0.03
Invalid/blank votes			53,847	–	59,778	–
Total			1,647,878	100	1,988,787	100
Registered voters/turnout			3,518,877	46.83	3,528,658	56.36
Source: CEC, CEC

Reactions

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated that the elections were "competitive and professionally administered," but noted concerned about a "substantial imbalance in donations", "excessively high spending limits", and a "lack of analytical reporting" as contributing factors to creating an unlevel playing field.[16]

On 29 November, the second day after the run-off results were released, the United National Movement leader-in-exile Mikheil Saakashvili encouraged supporters not to accept the election results and to hold demonstrations against the newly elected president. He also called for civil disobedience toward the police and armed forces.

References

1. "Certified Official Results of the 28 October 2018 First Round of the Georgian Presidential Election" (PDF). Central Election Commission (in Georgian). Retrieved 14 November 2018.
2. "Key Points of Newly Adopted Constitution". Civil Georgia. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
3. "Second Round of Presidential Election will be Held on November 28". Central Election Commission. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
4. "Results 2018". Central Election Commission. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
5. "Georgia's tapes scandals suggest something is rotten at the top of Georgian politics". OC Media. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
6. "Georgia's First Woman President Sworn In Amid Opposition Protests". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
7. https://www.transparency.ge/en/post/investigation-instances-alleged-election-fraud-must-be-launched
8. 25 Presidential Candidates are Registered for October 28, 2018 Elections
9. October 28, 2018 Presidential Elections of Georgia Registered Presidential Candidates
10. "Presidential Elections 2018: Weekly Digest No.2". Civil.ge. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
11. The Term for Presidential Candidates to Withdraw their Candidacies has Expired
12. "Presidential Candidate Zurabishvili Claims Georgia Started August 2008 War". Georgia Today on the Web. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
13. "Nino Burjanadze boycotts presidential election". Interpressnews. 8 September 2018. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
14. "Current president Giorgi Margvelashvili not to run in presidential elections". Agenda.ge. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
15. "Goodbye, Mr. President". Georgia Today on the Web. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
16. ¢Voters had a genuine choice and candidates campaigned freely, but on an unlevel playing field, international observers say Archived 4 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, press release of 29 October 2018.