Georgia votes in election and decides its future

Georgian citizens domestically and abroad are voting today in  "historic" parliamentary elections.

Spokesperson of the Central Election Commission Natia Ioseliani said that polling stations have officially opened across Georgia in 08:00, as voting commenced for the country's parliamentary elections. 

According to her, the process is now taking place in a peaceful environment, all polling stations are currently accepting voters and the voting process is ongoing.

The Georgian CEC announced that a total of 324,197 voters have cast their ballots in the ongoing general elections in Georgia, representing a turnout of 9.27% of total eligible voters.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, President Salome Zourabichvili and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili already cast their ballots in today’s parliamentary elections.

The PM noted the election was equivalent to a “referendum”, where the “direction of the country's development must once again be finally decided”.

"This is a referendum between war and peace, immoral propaganda and traditional values, and between the past and the country's bright future”, Kobakhidze said.

Georgians will elect 150 lawmakers from 18 parties. If no party wins the 76 seats required to form a government for a four-year term, the president will invite the largest party to form a coalition. Parties must secure at least 5% of the total vote to gain representation.