2013 Georgian Presidential Election Sunday Oct 27,2013

The 2013 Georgian Presidential Election scheduled for Sunday Oct 27,2013 is the 6th Presidential Election since the country's restoration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991

As per the Georgian Constitution,the incumbent President Mikheil Saakashvili is unable to run for a third consecutive term

In the 2008 Presidential Election held on Jan 05,2008, Mikheil Saakashvili(United National Movement) won the election securing 53.47% of the votes as against his opponent Levan Gachechiladze(National Council)who got only 26.29% of the votes
The 2008 Presidential Election was described in the organization for Security & co-operation in Europe  (OSCE) election observation mission report as "the first genuinely competitive post-independence presidential election", which "was in essence consistent with most OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections". At the same time, the mission "revealed significant challenges which need to be addressed urgently."

Presidential Candidates

The candidates for the UNM presidential primaries, announced in June 2013, were former parliamentary speaker David Bakradze, veteran lawmaker and former cabinet minister Giorgi Baraamidze,Shota Malashkhia and Zurab Japaridze. All primaries have been won by David Bakradze who was announced the presidential candidate

Giorgi Margvelashvili was the candidate for the Georgian Dream

On June 12,2013,Nino Burjanadze(Democratic Movement-United Georgia) announced that she would run for president

Exit Polls
Two exit polls conducted by Georgian and European research groups, recorded Giorgi Margvelashvili's(Georgian Dream) victory with around 66 to 68% of the votes in his favor. David Bakradze(UNM) came second with 20% and Nino Burjanadze(Democratic Movement-United Georgia)came third with 9.51%

Georgia Votes for new President

Giorgi Margvelashvili 'wins presidency'

There were 23 candidates standing in today's poll, but most attention focused on 3 candidates - 

• Giorgi Margvelashvili of Georgian Dream coalition and handpicked by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili

• Davit Bakradze, a member of President Mikhail Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM) and 

• Nino Burjanadze, the leader of the Democratic Movement-United Georgia party

With votes at 12% of polling stations counted, Giorgi Margvelashvili has won 64%. His closest rival, David Bakradze, trails with 21%,according to partial results from the electoral commission

David Bakradze has admitted defeat and congratulated Giorgi Margvelashvili.

The election marks an end to a decade in power for pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili.
He has served the maximum two terms, and told voters to "respect the opinion of the majority"

Giorgi Margvelashvili is a member of  Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream party, which won parliamentary elections in Oct 2012, ushering in the former Soviet republic's first legal transfer of power.

Note
Since coming to power in the bloodless 2003 "Rose Revolution" outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili has implemented reforms which helped root out corruption pursuing a pro-Western foreign policy and improved public services in the country, where poverty remains widespread

However,Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is also Georgia's richest man, has dismissed Mikheil Saakashvili's achievements, calling him a "liar" and a "dictator" and has indicated that Mikheil Saakashvili could face questioning or even prosecution over the alleged crimes of his government after his term ends

Bidzina Ivanishvili,the billionaire businessman intends to resign as prime minister within weeks of the vote, saying he has achieved his aims but has not yet named his party's successor as prime minister