Billionaire poised to be Georgia prime minister

Billionare businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili today appeared on course to become Georgia’s prime minister as early election results showed his opposition alliance leading the ruling party.

With about a quarter of votes counted, Georgian Dream had 53 per cent of the popular vote in yesterday’s parliamentary election. President Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement was on 41 per cent.

Early returns indicated that voters had turned against Mr Saakashvili and his party, which has been in power since 2003. He has portrayed the poll as a choice between his West-leaning government and a future in which Mr Ivanishvili would let Russia dominate. The government has been accused of human rights abuses and bungling a 2008 war with Russia, when Georgian troops were expelled from two breakaway regions.

Mr Saakashvili admitted Georgian Dream was ahead in the race for seats being decided by proportional representation. But he said his party was leading the contest for first-past-the-post seats — nearly half the 150 available. Georgian Dream supporters were celebrating in the capital Tbilisi.