By LYNN BERRY and MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI
Georgian Dream ruling coalition’s presidential candidate Georgy Margvelashvili, left, kisses his daughter Anna, outside a polling station during presidential election in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. Georgians are voting Sunday for a president to succeed Mikhail Saakashvili, who during nearly a decade in power has turned this former Soviet republic into a fledgling democracy and a staunch U.S. ally. (AP Photo/Georgy Abdaladze)
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) —
Exit polls in Georgia’s presidential election indicate a big win for the candidate backed by billionaire Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The exit polls show Giorgi Margvelashvili with nearly 67 percent of the vote.
Sunday’s election is ending the presidency of Mikhail Saakashvili, who during nearly a decade in power has turned this former Soviet republic into a fledgling democracy and a staunch U.S. ally.
His party’s candidate was in second place with 20 percent.
The exit polls were conducted by the market research organization GfK and commissioned by Georgian private television station Rustavi2.
