Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party secured a sweeping victory in nationwide local elections on October 4, according to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission (CEC). 

The opposition partially boycotted the polls, which were held under what critics describe as an increasingly repressive political climate. On the day of the vote, an estimated 100,000 protesters gathered in Tbilisi in one of the country’s largest demonstrations in nearly a year.

With all 3,061 precincts counted, Georgian Dream won 80.8% of the vote in municipalities across the country, data from the CEC showed. In many constituencies, the party’s share exceeded 80% or even 90%, and its mayoral candidates ran unopposed in several races. 

Official turnout was 40.93%, well below the level recorded in the previous municipal elections. Participation in the capital was the lowest nationwide, with only 31.08% of eligible voters casting ballots in Tbilisi, where incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze was re-elected.

As voting was underway, tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Rustaveli Avenue and Liberty Square in central Tbilisi, calling for the resignation of the government and the formation of a “technical government.” The rally was one of the largest since protests began in late 2024 after Georgian Dream halted the country’s EU integration process.

The demonstration, mainly peaceful, turned chaotic in the evening when a group of protesters attempted to storm the presidential palace, as reported by bne IntelliNews' correspondent in Tbilisi. Riot police dispersed the crowd after clashes broke out. 

The opposition had hoped the mass turnout would reinvigorate the protest movement that has persisted for months but failed to translate the show of support into a broader political breakthrough. By 9 pm, most demonstrators had left the area.

The local elections, which saw limited independent observation, are likely to further entrench the ruling party’s dominance in national politics and deepen divisions in Georgia.

Georgian Dream, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, has faced mounting criticism from Western governments and local activists for what they describe as democratic backsliding and pressure on independent media and civil society.

As the results came in, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos wrote on X: "Yesterday’s local elections in Georgia were held after months of increasing repression … Citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly & expression must be upheld.”