TBILISI (Reuters) - The ruling party in Georgia decisively won parliamentary elections, firming its grip on power in the former Soviet nation, near-complete results showed on Sunday.

Georgia's former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (L) and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili wave at a rally of Georgian Dream party after the parliamentary elections in Tbilisi, Georgia, October 8, 2016. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

With 99.41 percent of the votes in, data from the Central Election Commission gave the ruling Georgian Dream party 48.61 percent of the vote and the opposition United National Movement (UNM) 27.04 percent.

A U.S. ally traditionally buffeted between Russia and the West, Georgia hopes to join the European Union and NATO one day even though that is something that Russia, its former colonial master, strongly opposes.

With political stability still fragile — the first peaceful transfer of power since the 1991 Soviet collapse only took place four years ago - the authorities were keen the election be widely seen as free and fair to avoid a return to the days when politicians tried to seize power by force.

Georgia is criss-crossed by strategically important oil and gas pipelines and a fifth of its territory remains under the control of pro-Russian separatists following a short war with Russia in 2008.

Georgian Dream, which is pro-Western but also favors closer ties with Russia, declared victory shortly after polls closed on Saturday.

“I congratulate you with a big victory Georgia!” Prime Minister Georgy Kvirikashvili told jubilant supporters gathered outside the party’s headquarters in Tbilisi, the capital.

“According to all preliminary results, Georgian Dream is leading with a big advantage,” he said, as dozens of party members waved blue party flags and balloons.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said on Sunday the election had been competitive and that fundamental freedoms had been generally respected.

With some parties threatening to organize street protests if they do not get into parliament, the government is likely to use the OSCE’s assessment to bolster its assertion that the vote was largely fair despite some problems.

Related Coverage OSCE says Georgian parliament vote was competitive with some flaws

UNREST

The pre-election atmosphere was marred by a string of violent incidents blamed by Georgian politicians on everyone from Moscow to shadowy forces bent on destabilizing the vote.

In one of them, a group of unidentified attackers threw stones and smashed windows at two polling stations in the village of Jikhashkari in western Georgia on Saturday night.

They also damaged the ballot box and attacked international and local observers on the spot, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) said in a statement.

Before that, on Tuesday, a car bomb targeted an opposition deputy in Tbilisi. Givi Targamadze survived, but five passers-by were injured.

In a separate attack, two men were shot and wounded last Sunday at an election rally in the town of Gori, while on voting day itself disturbances broke out in the village of Kizilajlo in south-east Georgia.

Georgian Dream, which came to power in 2012, is funded by tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, the country’s richest man, while the opposition UNM was founded by former president Mikheil Saakashvili.

“I’m happy that Georgian Dream has won. I believe that they will do more for people,” said Murman Sanikidze, a 37-year-old Tbilisi resident.

Although the economy is emerging from a deep slowdown, many in this nation of 3.7 million people are unhappy with their living standards, which have been hit by a decline in exports and remittances.

Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia, helped end UNM’s nine-year rule in 2012.

Slideshow (12 Images)

Under Georgian Dream, dozens of ex-officials have been arrested on charges such as abuse of power, though some Western countries have accused the government of applying justice selectively.

Saakashvili, now a regional politician in Ukraine, is wanted at home on several charges, including corruption. He says the charges are politically motivated.</s>The last date for enrolling as a voter for election to the Member of Legislative Council from the graduates constituency of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts is November 5, Collector and District Election Officer Pravin Kumar said here on Friday.

Any one who has received a degree from a recognised university or equivalent qualification as specified in the Representation of People’s Act 1950 at least three years before the qualifying date and is an ordinary resident of the constituency is eligible to be enrolled as a voter for the graduate MLC’s election. “Those who have voted in the earlier graduates MLC seat election have to get enrolled again. Electoral rolls for this election are different from the electoral rolls for the general elections. One should have his or her name in the electoral rolls to exercise his or her franchise. No one can claim that he or she can vote in this election also because his or her name is on the electoral rolls for general elections”, Mr. Pravin Kumar clarified at a press conference.</s>Georgia’s ruling party is set to retain power after an election that was broadly praised by international observers, but which opposition parties say was marred by fraud.

With votes from more than 80 per cent of constituencies counted, Georgian Dream had 49.26 per cent and the United National Movement (UNM) 26.46 per cent, with no other party assured of taking the 5 per cent required to enter parliament.

“I congratulate you on a big victory, Georgia! ” prime minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told supporters outside Georgian Dream’s headquarters in Tbilisi, the capital, after exit polls were released on Saturday.

“This was a truly free and fair election, which firmly cements Georgia’s democracy,” he said.

The two main parties want European Union and Nato membership, though Georgian Dream also backs “pragmatic” links with Russia, which props up separatist rebels who control two regions that comprise about one-fifth of Georgia’s territory.

Preliminary results showed that one pro-Russian party had a chance of entering parliament and it, like several parties including the UNM, accused Georgian Dream of major voting violations.

“Votes have been stolen from us . . . We will defend our votes to the end,” said UNM’s campaign chief Nika Melia. He said his party had “won this election” and that now the “struggle goes into a decisive phase”.

Nino Burjanadze, leader of a small party that seeks to strongly improve ties with Moscow, said: “Our party will not recognise these results . . . We have evidence of electoral fraud in favour of Georgian Dream, such as, for example, multiple voting.”

International monitors noted shortcomings before and during the vote, including violence and unbalanced media coverage and party funding, but the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said “fundamental rights were respected during a competitive campaign and . . . the election administration earned the trust and confidence” of voters.

Paolo Alli, head of monitors from the parliamentary assembly of Nato, said: “Georgia has reaffirmed its status as the leader of democratic transformation in this region.”

Fears of unrest grew last week when two men were shot at an independent politician’s campaign rally and a UNM deputy’s car was blown up in Tbilisi; some members of the main parties blamed each other, while others suspected Russia of stoking tension.

The political temperature was also raised by repeated pledges from UNM founder and ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili to return to his homeland from exile in Ukraine after the election.
Voters in Georgia go to the polls for a legislative election.