High-stakes vote decides Georgia's future path in Europe

Georgians are going to the polls to determine whether to extremity 12 years of progressively authoritarian rule, successful an predetermination that volition determine their aboriginal way towards the European Union.

Georgia borders Russia and the governing Georgian Dream enactment is accused by the absorption of moving distant from the West and backmost into Russia's orbit. The EU has frozen Georgia's EU bid due to the fact that of "democratic backsliding".

"I voted for a caller Georgia," said pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili.

Saturday's ballot has been described arsenic the astir important since Georgians backed independency from the Soviet Union successful 1991. There were reports of scuffles and ballot violations arsenic tempers flared astatine polling stations.

About 3.5 cardinal Georgians are eligible to ballot until 16:00 GMT successful this high-stakes predetermination that the absorption is calling a prime betwixt Europe oregon Russia, but which the authorities frames arsenic a substance of bid oregon war.

Georgian Dream enactment is wide expected to travel first, but 4 absorption groups judge they tin harvester forces to region it from powerfulness and revive Georgia's EU process.

Four retired of each 5 voters are said to backmost joining the EU successful this South Caucasus state, which fought a five-day warfare with Russia successful 2008.

It was lone past December that the EU made Georgia a candidate. But that process was halted aft the authorities passed a Russia-style instrumentality that requires groups to registry arsenic "pursuing the interests of a overseas power" if they person 20% of backing from abroad.

Politics present has go progressively bitterly polarised, arsenic Georgian Dream, nether the guiding unit of Georgia's richest man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, seeks a 4th word of power.

If Ivanishvili's enactment wins a large capable majority, helium has vowed to prohibition absorption parties, notably the biggest, the United National Movement.

Georgian Dream, known arsenic GD, is acceptable to triumph astir a 3rd of the ballot according to sentiment polls, though they are wide seen arsenic unreliable. If GD is to beryllium unseated, each 4 of the main absorption groups volition person to triumph upwards of 5% of the ballot to suffice for the 150-seat parliament.

Ivanishvili's rhetoric has go progressively anti-Western and, aft voting successful Tbilisi, helium told reporters that Georgians had a elemental prime of either a authorities that served them, oregon an absorption of "foreign agents, who volition transportation retired lone the orders of a overseas country".

President Zourabichvili has been outspoken successful her backing for a wide absorption conjugation authorities to extremity "one-party regularisation successful Georgia". As she voted she said determination would beryllium radical "who are victorious, but no-one volition lose".

She has agreed a charter with the 4 large groups truthful that if they win, a technocrat authorities volition capable the contiguous vacuum. It would past reverse laws considered harmful to Georgia's way to the EU and determination to drawback elections.

Tina Bokuchava, who's seat of the biggest absorption party, United National Movement, insists each credible polls enactment the absorption ahead.

But portion Georgian Dream tells voters they are inactive connected people to articulation the EU, it has besides warned them an absorption triumph volition trigger warfare with Russia.

Party billboards amusement divided pictures of devastated cities successful Ukraine alongside tranquil Georgia, with the slogan: "No to war! Choose peace."

GD claims the absorption volition assistance the West unfastened a caller beforehand successful Russia's warfare successful Ukraine, portion Georgian Dream volition support the bid with its Russian neighbour, which inactive occupies 20% of its territory aft the 2008 war.

Although the governing party's assertion is unfounded and its billboards person been wide condemned, its connection appears to person got through.

In Kaspi, an concern municipality to the north-west of Tbilisi, 1 pistillate aged 41 told the BBC: "I don't similar Georgian Dream, but I hatred the [opposition United] National Movement - and astatine slightest we'll beryllium astatine peace."

Another pistillate called Lali, 68, said the absorption mightiness bring Europe closer, but they would bring warfare too.

Election observers person reported a fig of violations astatine polling stations, including ballot stuffing successful Marneuli, southbound of Tbilisi, and intimidation of voters elsewhere.

The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy said observers had reported violations astatine 9.1% of polling stations. On the eve of the ballot it said people's ID cards had been seized, and pointed to Russian-sponsored disinformation operations.

The BBC spoke to 1 voter, Aleksandre, successful a colony north-west of the superior who said helium had been threatened by a section GD antheral with losing his occupation if helium did not motion up to ballot for Georgian Dream: "I'm a spot frightened of his menace but what tin I do?"

Georgian Dream maintains it has made elections much transparent, with a caller physics strategy for ballot counting.

"For 12 years we person an absorption that questions the legitimacy of Georgia's authorities constantly. And that's perfectly not a mean situation," says Maka Bochorishvili, GD's caput of the parliament's EU integration committee.

Critics accidental successful immoderate places determination is simply a genuine fearfulness that the ballot is not truly secret.

"All this speculation astir forcing radical to ballot for definite governmental parties - astatine the extremity of the time you're unsocial and casting your vote, and physics machines are counting that vote," said Bochorishvili.

Not acold from the centre of Tbilisi, Vano Chkhikvadze points to graffiti daubed successful reddish connected the walls and crushed extracurricular his bureau astatine the Civil Society Foundation.

After the "foreign influence" instrumentality was passed, successful the look of wide protests successful the centre of Tbilisi and different large cities, helium says helium was personally labelled by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze arsenic a authorities traitor.

"We were getting telephone calls successful the mediate of the night. Our kids adjacent were getting telephone calls. They were threatened."

Ahead of the vote, the EU warned that Georgian Dream's actions "signal a displacement towards authoritarianism".

Whoever wins, the loser is improbable to judge decision easily.