French-born diplomat claims victory in Georgian election

A French-born former foreign minister of Georgia celebrated what she claims is her victory in a tight presidential runoff last night that marks the last time Georgians elect their head of state by popular vote.

An exit poll showed the 66-year-old Salome Zurabishvili backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party winning 55 per cent of the vote, with her rival, the 60-year-old Grigol Vashadze, who was supported by a coalition of opposition forces, trailing behind with 45 per cent.

Georgia, a nation of nearly four million people in the volatile Caucasus region south of Russia, is transitioning to a parliamentary republic.

Presidential powers have been substantially reduced with the prime minister becoming the most powerful figure in the country. After the new president’s six-year term ends, future heads of state will be chosen by delegates.

“Our choice is peaceful Georgia, united country and of equal citizens,” Ms Zurabishvili said after seeing the exit poll showing her victory.

“Our choice is the dialogue with those parts of the society who today has not voted for me and who today don’t agree with us. But we all are citizens of one country.”

The election is seen as a crucial test for Georgian Dream, which is led and funded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili who made his fortune in Russia.

It has dominated the nation’s political scene since defeating former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement in 2012. Mr Ivanishvili briefly served as prime minister in 2012 to 2013 and has remained a prominent force in Georgian politics ever since.

After the polls closed, Mr Saakashvili claimed that the vote was rigged and called for protests to annul the results.

Ms Zurabishvili ran as an independent but was backed by Georgian Dream, while Mr Vashadze was supported by a coalition that includes the United National Movement. They won 39 and 38 per cent respectively in the first round last month.

Ms Zurabishvili was born in France and served as French ambassador to Georgia until becoming Georgia’s foreign minister in 2004. She was fired the following year and some Georgians still look at her foreign background with suspicion and criticise her for her contention that Georgia started the 2008 war with Russia.

Ms Zurabishvili’s opponents cast her as a pro-russia candidate – the claim she and Georgian Dream strongly denied. She argued that her background is a strong qualification for serving as Georgian president as the country seeks closer ties with the European Union.

Observers saw the vote as a key test before the 2020 parliamentary election.