Georgian presidential elections since independence

Georgians will vote Sunday on who they want to succeed Mikheil Saakashvili as the new president of the South Caucasus country. The following are sketches of the country's presidential elections since its independence in 1991, with presidents being elected by 50 percent plus 1 majority votes through a two-round system to serve a five-year term: On May 26, 1991, Zviad Gamsakhurdia became the first elected president of an independent Georgia with 87.6 percent of votes in the first round. Six candidates ran in the election, and 2,968,945 registered voters participated in voting. The turnout rate was 82.9 percent. The 1995 election was held on Nov. 5 with 2,121,510 registered voters and a turnout rate of 68.3 percent. Eduard Shevardnadze won the first round with 77 percent of votes and became the second president of Georgia, defeating other five candidates. On April 9, 2000, the presidential election was held with 2,343,176 registered voters and a turnout rate of 75.9 percent. Shevardnadze again won in the first round with 82 percent for a second successive term. On Jan. 4, 2004, there were 1,762,972 registered voters for the election and a turnout rate of 82.8 percent. Saakashvili won the first round with 96 percent of votes, while his closest rival, Teimuraz Shashiashvili, received only 1.9 percent. The last election was held on Jan. 5, 2008, with 3,527,964 registered voters and a turnout rate of 56.19 percent. Among seven candidates, Saakashvili won first round with 53.47 percent of the vote, while his closest rival, Levan Gachechiladze, gained 25.69 percent.