Georgia's ruling party wins pivotal election, early results show, as opposition parties cry foul

Supporters of the Georgian Dream party celebrate at the party's headquarters after the announcement of exit poll results in parliamentary elections, in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 26 October 2024. REUTERS - Irakli Gedenidze

Tbilisi, Georgia (Reuters) – Georgia's most powerful man won a parliamentary election on Saturday, according to early official results, a victory which opposition politicians refused to recognise, alleging "falsification".

The ruling Georgian Dream party's billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, the opposition, and foreign diplomats had cast the election as a watershed moment that would decide if Georgia moves closer to the West or leans back towards Russia amid the war in Ukraine.