Georgia goes to the polls with government trying to destroy EU hopes

The EU has frozen Georgia’s membership application due to its “democratic return” just months after formal accession talks last December.

The poll put Georgian Dream about to win about a third of the votes.

Turnout was the highest since the last transfer of power 12 years ago, according to political intelligence firm Europe Elects.

About 3.5 million Georgians are eligible to vote before the polls close at 4:00 p.m. local time.

Salome Zourabichvili, the Georgian president and critic Georgian Dream, said in remarks to the nation on Saturday: “It is crucial that this momentum continues into the second half of the day and we anticipate an even greater turnout.”

Ms Zourabichvili said there had already been a disruption in voting, apparently confirming fears of violence that had been raised in the run-up to the landmark election.