TBILISI, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former football star and incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze of the ruling Georgian Dream party has won a decisive victory in Tbilisi's mayoral election, showcasing the party's nationwide success, preliminary results showed on Sunday.
According to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission, with 99 percent of the ballots counted, Kaladze received 71.58 percent of the vote, defeating his nearest rivals Irakli Kupradze of the opposition with 12.4 percent and Iago Khvichia with 7.5 percent.
The victory in the capital reflects Georgian Dream's broader success nationwide, as the party maintains its dominance in municipal elections across the country. Based on results from nearly 73 percent of polling stations, Georgian Dream leads with more than 80 percent of the vote.
Twelve parties competed in the local elections across Georgia on Saturday, with around 3.5 million citizens eligible to vote, the Central Election Commission said.
International observers from 28 organizations and nearly 1,000 journalists monitored the elections. Voter turnout exceeded 40 percent across the country, according to the commission. ■