Georgia’s future has two post-election scenarios — political scientist Denysenko

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“The situation reflects the status quo of the previous parliament regarding the elections. The last parliament had the ruling party with approximately 86 seats and the opposition with about 60. The recent election results mirror this distribution, meaning Ivanishvili's party (the ruling Georgian Dream party - ed.) lacks a constitutional majority, limiting its ability to create a Georgia-Abkhazia-Ossetia confederation or amend the constitution. Essentially, there are two possibilities: the new parliament will operate—whether deemed legitimate or illegitimate is another matter—or the opposition could escalate tensions. One of the three opposition parties that secured seats in parliament has already announced its intention to resign, and if the others follow suit, we may face early elections,” he said.

Vadym Denysenko recalled how the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party allegedly bribed voters during the last election.

“Whether the situation will change depends on two factors: a) the extent to which Russia, read Ivanishvili, invests in bribing voters. Looking back at the last election—an aspect not widely discussed here—it’s notable that virtually every seventh Georgian received direct handouts from the ruling party. Debts on bank loans were repaid, meaning every seventh Georgian, or every second or third family, benefited from state assistance. And b): the degree to which the opposition can expand its reach beyond major cities,” said the political scientist.

• On Sunday, October 27, 2024, the Georgian Central Election Commission announced preliminary results from 3,110 out of 3,111 polling stations. Voting at one station was suspended following the appearance of a video showing ballot stuffing.