Outcomes of referendum on Georgia entering NATO to be announced on January 13

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Outcomes of the referendum held in Georgia on January 5 together with the presidential election will be known by January 13, when the final results of the election are to be made public too, a REGNUM correspondent is told at the Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC). According to the CEC, because of the large amount of work in counting ballots at the presidential election, the commission has not started counting ballots of the referenda.

Two questions were put on voting concerning date of the 2008 parliamentary elections (in autumn, what the constitution states, or in spring, what was written in the previous constitution and what the opposition claims) and on people’s attitudes towards the idea of Georgia entering NATO. According to an exit poll held on the voting day by the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development, GIPA, the Foundation for Strategic and International Studies and Chavchavadze State University contracted by four Georgian TV-channels (Public Television, Rustavi 2, Mze and Ajar Television), 61.1% of Georgian people spoke for entering NATO, 17.7% were against it, 21.3% refused to answer. Speaking on timing of the parliamentary elections, 63.6% said they supported calling up elections this spring, 15.6% this autumn, 20.8% refused to answer the question. 9,846 voters were questioned during the exit poll. Meanwhile, presidential contender from the ruling party Mikhail Saakashvili, who under preliminary reports of the CEC won 52.91%, said that taking into account the people’s will he agreed to hold the parliamentary elections in spring; they will be held in April or May 2008.