Both sides claim victory in Georgia's crucial vote on future in Europe

Georgia's progressively authoritarian ruling enactment is acceptable to travel archetypal successful a pivotal predetermination focused connected the country's aboriginal way successful Europe, competing exit polls say.

However, the 2 exit polls disagree connected who volition beryllium capable to signifier a majority. Both the governing Georgian Dream enactment of billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili and the absorption groups trying to extremity its 12 years successful powerfulness person claimed victory.

Projected results volition springiness a clearer denotation successful the coming hours.

Georgians turned retired successful large numbers connected Saturday successful this South Caucasus authorities bordering Russia, and determination were galore reports of ballot violations and unit extracurricular polling stations.

Two radical ended up successful infirmary and the biggest absorption party's HQ came nether onslaught from supporters of the ruling party.

One absorption authoritative successful a municipality southbound of Tbilisi told the BBC that helium was beaten up archetypal by a section Georgian Dream councillor, and past "another 10 men came and I didn’t cognize what was happening to me".

The absorption has described this high-stakes ballot arsenic a prime betwixt Europe oregon Russia. If the absorption TV exit canvass is backed up by results they person a accidental of defeating Georgian Dream aft 3 presumption successful office.

"This is the moment. In aboriginal determination whitethorn beryllium nary specified moment," absorption elector Levan Benidze, 36, told the BBC. "I cognize determination are a batch of geopolitical risks - from Russia - but this could beryllium the pivotal moment, a turning point."

Although Georgia was made a campaigner to articulation the European Union past December, that determination has present been frozen by the EU due to the fact that of "democratic backsliding - successful peculiar a Russian-style "foreign influence" instrumentality targeting groups receiving Western funding.

The USSR whitethorn person ceased to beryllium much than 3 decades ago, but Moscow inactive considers overmuch of the aged Soviet empire its ain backyard and Russia’s sphere of influence.

It volition person appreciated Georgian Dream’s run committedness of a “pragmatic” Russia policy, not to notation Brussels’ determination earlier this twelvemonth to halt Georgia’s EU accession process.

Ivanishvili's rhetoric has go progressively anti-Western, indicating that nether Georgian Dream mightiness propulsion the state backmost into Russia's orbit.

Georgians had a elemental choice, the party's laminitis said aft voting successful Tbilisi: either a authorities that served them, oregon an absorption of "foreign agents, who volition transportation retired lone the orders of a overseas country".

He has repeatedly spoken of a "global warfare party" pushing the absorption towards joining the warfare successful Ukraine, portion Georgian Dream (GD) is the enactment of peace. For galore voters the connection has worked.

"The astir important happening - for me, my family, my grandchildren - is bid that I privation for each Georgians," GD elector Tinatin Gvelesiani, 55, told the BBC astatine a polling presumption successful Kojori, south-west of the capital. "Only Georgian Dream" would bring peace, she added.

Election observers reported a drawstring of violations crossed the country, from ballot stuffing wrong polling stations to intimidation of voters outside.

With little than an hr to spell earlier the polls closed, pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili appealed to absorption voters not to beryllium intimidated.

"Don't get scared. All this is conscionable intelligence unit connected you," she said successful a unrecorded code connected societal media.

The intimidation turned into unit for Azat Karimov, 35, the section seat of the biggest absorption enactment United National Movement successful Marneuli southbound of Tbilisi.

He told the BBC however helium was acceptable upon erstwhile his squad tried to analyse votes being falsified by Georgian Dream officials. He besides alleged that voters were being bribed to backmost the governing party.

"[A Georgian Dream councillor]came with 10-20 people... earlier constabulary could travel I told him to calm down. Right distant the councillor started beating me."

On the eve of the vote, a Georgian monitoring radical highlighted a Russian disinformation run aimed astatine the election.

The Kremlin has denied meddling successful Georgia’s home affairs and has accused the West of “unprecedented attempts” astatine interference.

Earlier this twelvemonth Sergei Naryshkin, manager of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, accused the United States of readying a “Colour Revolution” successful Georgia.