Local Election Day

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PUBLISH DATE 25/11/2023

Danâ Ličeli, Iust́inâne Ḱaḱačó, Iuliani Ramont́i

Tamara - Across the country, Agausians went to the polls to participate in local elections, filling over 900 elected positions. Commune Administrators, Commune Assembly members, and City Councilors were all subject to elections after their two-year terms. With a turnout of just over forty-eight percent and all ballots counted, official results are expected to be announced Monday morning.

A special election in Aḱlos’s third parliamentary district also took place after former MP Sumleni (SD) resigned following the unfortunate death of his brother. Although the district has narrowly been held by the Social Democrats since 2015, polling indicates a potential shift for the opposition.

Since June, the opposition has sought to frame local elections as a litmus test for the government's mandate and has implemented a strategy to nationalize elections, typically hyper-localized. The opposition had invested heavily in the outcome of these elections.

Polling vs. Exit polls:

Opinion polling appears to have underestimated the support for the two main parties in Agausia, the Social Democrats and the Agausian Liberals, ultimately motivating voters to turn out. Both parties exceeded expectations but still faced losses to smaller local parties.

The Progressive Democrats had an exceptionally good day after witnessing a rise in the polls since early October. Party Chair Andrër Koṕili praised the results of his party and also acknowledged the success of the opposition’s National Coalition.

Despite consistently polling in third and fourth place in recent months, the Democratic League of Agausia only fielded just over two hundred candidates in the local elections. Approximately fifty of them are expected to secure office, marking an impressive feat for the brand-new party.

These reports are based on the latest exit polling:

Commune Administrators:

There are 96 Commune Administrators:

• 27 Agausian Liberals
• 26 Social Democrats
• 15 Progressive Democrats
• 12 Farmers and Greens
• 5 New Socialists
• 5 Conservatives
• 4 United Alliance
• 2 Democratic League of Agausia

Commune Assemblies:

There are 288 Commune Assembly seats:

• 61 Social Democrats
• 58 Agausian Liberals
• 48 Progressive Democrats
• 39 Farmers and Greens
• 20 Democratic League of Agausia
• 14 New Socialists
• 12 United Alliance
• 9 Christian Democrats
• 9 Communists
• 8 Conservatives
• 4 Pensioners
• 3 Action!
• 3 Republicans

City Councils:

There are 530 City Council seats:

• 133 Social Democrats
• 129 Agausian Liberals
• 63 Progressive Democrats
• 38 Farmers and Greens
• 37 New Socialists
• 32 Democratic League of Agausia
• 30 United Alliance
• 20 Conservatives
• 14 Communists
• 13 Pensioners
• 8 Republicans
• 8 Christian Democrats
• 3 Action!
• 2 Business Party

Special Election:

A special election for Aḱlos’s third parliamentary district was called after former MP Sumleni (SD) resigned. Former mayor of the city of Ḱvenitsëḱali Ṕaat́a Boičeni (AL) appears to have flipped the seat, defeating his main opponent, former prosecutor and judge Iveri Ṕlekovi (SD).

Polls had fluctuated, giving both candidates the advantage numerous times during the campaign. The current mayor of Ḱvenitsëḱali, Mikeil Osiṕovi, a member of the Conservative Party (KPA), endorsed his own chief of staff for the position. Polls placed KPA candidate Sergi Parašvili at a distant third place.

“Today, we sent a strong message to those in Tamara,” Boičeni said in his victory speech. “It is time for change, and it will come soon, and it has started here, today!” The MP-elect addressed supporters at an election night event in the village of Zemožana.

The MP will not take his seat until parliament returns from its winter recess on February 5, 2024.

Overall:

The opposition had hoped for a blowout to legitimize their plan to use the local elections as a test of the governing coalition's strength. However, this did not materialize. While the opposition and other right-leaning parties made gains, the left and the Social Democrats seem to have retained their lead.

Both the government and the opposition have claimed the elections as a success. Leader of the opposition Aleksandre Ûmdaže (AL) stated that the results show clear discontent with the current government and declared election day a “rallying call for change.”

Social Democratic deputy party chair Isidora Čehkizdi spoke at an event in Tamara and claimed that the vote was a sign of Agausian confidence while acknowledging that work still needs to be done to improve people's lives.

Several small parties had a good turnout. The Democratic League of Agausia, the Republicans, and the Action! party all saw impressive local turnouts, winning forty-four, eleven, and six positions respectively. The Communists also performed well but made no serious gains.

These elections have revealed that the Agausian electorate is more divided than ever. While the opposition has made steady gains, the long-entrenched government remains resilient.

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