Georgian parliamentary election, 2012

Georgian parliamentary election, 2012

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All 150 seats to the Parliament 76 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	59.76%
First party Second party   Leader Bidzina Ivanishvili Vano Merabishvili Party Georgian Dream ENM Last election did not contest 119 seats, 59.18% Seats won 85 65 Seat change New party 54 Popular vote 1,184,612 873,233 Percentage 54.97% 40.34% Swing New party 18.84%
Map of electoral districts, winners by party-list.
Prime Minister before election Vano Merabishvili ENM Prime Minister-designate Bidzina Ivanishvili Georgian Dream

Vano Merabishvili
ENM

Bidzina Ivanishvili
Georgian Dream

The Georgian parliamentary election of 2012 was held on 1 October 2012 in Georgia. It was the 7th legislative election held since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The opposition Georgian Dream coalition of billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili won a majority of seats. President Mikheil Saakashvili conceded his party's loss.

The election was held according to a reformed electoral system agreed upon by the incumbent and several opposition parties in 2011. 77 of the 150 seats are allocated proportionally to party lists, the remaining 73 to the winners in single-member constituencies. The new parliament will be relocated from the capital of Tbilisi to the country's second largest city of Kutaisi later in 2012. A new government will also be formed following the scheduled 2013 presidential election as envisaged by the 2010 constitutional amendments.South Ossetia and Abkhazia did not vote.

In 2009, opposition parties together held protests to demand the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili accusing him of concentrating power to himself, using riot police to crush opposition rallies in 2007. Again, in 2011 protests seeking the presidents resignation were suppressed.

According to the amendments to the Constitution of Georgia passed on October 15, 2010, the Parliament elected in 2012 will have to form the new government after the new constitution enters into force upon the inauguration of the next president, who was scheduled to be elected in October 2013. The amendments envisage significant reduction of the powers of President in favor of Prime Minister of Georgia and the government. According to another amendment, passed on 1 July 2011, the parliament elected in 2012 will be permanently relocated from Tbilisi to the country's second largest city of Kutaisi.