2018 Georgian Presidential Election Run-Off - Georgia ruling party candidate Zurabishv wins presidential runoff

Georgia's ruling party-backed candidate, who favours balancing the ex-Soviet republic's relations with Moscow and the West, has won the presidential runoff, according to partial results published on the electoral body's website on Thursday Nov 29,2018

Figures from the Central Election Commission gave French-born Salome Zurabishvili 59.6 percent of the vote in the runoff, which was held on Wednesday Nov 28,2018

Opposition candidate Grigol Vashadze had 40.4 percent, based on results from almost all polling stations, the CEC said.

The second round of voting was under close scrutiny by the opposition and international observers for any sign that the ruling Georgian Dream party is using its control of state machinery to help Zurabishvili win.

The opposition said there have been attacks on its activists during campaigning and complained there were many irregularities during the vote, including attempts to pressure voters and manipulation of voter lists.

The ruling party has denied attempting to influence the outcome of the vote unfairly.

International observers said the first round of voting last month had been competitive but had been held on "an unlevel playing field" with state resources misused, private media biased, and some phoney candidates taking part.

The election was the last in which the president will be selected by popular vote. From 2024, presidents will be picked by an electoral college of 300 legislators and regional officials.

Zurabishvili won 38.6 percent of the vote in the first round on October 28. That was just one percentage point ahead of Vashadze in a resolutely pro-Western government that was in power when the conflict with Russia broke out over a Moscow-backed breakaway Georgian territory.