World

Georgia Election: Close and Contested

by Jordan Yerman | January 5, 2008 at 11:48 am

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Update: Observers are calling the results fo the election "fair", though they acknowledge some irregularities:

A snap
presidential election in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia was
democratic and the outcome should be respected, foreign observers say.

OSCE and Council of Europe officials said the poll had been
consistent with international democratic standards - though they did
refer to some problems.

Early results suggest President Mikhail Saakashvili won, but it is unclear if he did well enough to avoid a run-off.

But opposition groups allege the vote was rigged and have staged protests.

"We are not going to let him [President Saakashvili] steal the election," one opposition leader told the BBC.

Polls have closed in Georgia's snap presidential elections, which have been seen as a test of the democratic credentials of Mikhail Saakashvili, the country's pro-western president.

The first exit poll on Saturday confirmed that Saakashvili was on track to win the vote, which has been marred by opposition accusations of rigging.

The exit poll, based on results from four hours before the polls closed, gave Saakashvili 54.6 per cent of the vote, enough to avoid a second round run-off.

The leading challenger, Levan Gachechiladze, was trailing on 25.5 per cent.

Staunch U.S. ally Saakashvili called the snap election in November to repair his battered authority and democratic reputation and Western allies will be watching to ensure the vote is squeaky clean.

The first hints of a not-so-squeaky-clean vote, though, are starting to emerge:

“I was told to say something good about the government,” he told me, “or else I wouldn’t be a student any longer”.

Opposition groups alleged that exit polls and the vote itself would be "rigged" in favour of Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia's pro-western president, who is seeking re-election.

Pressure is mounting on more than 1,000 international observers who will play a key role in deciding the legitimacy of votes cast at 3,400 ballot stations.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Levan Gachechiladze, leader of a nine-party opposition coalition and the man most likely to come second to Mr Saakashvili, said: "The election process has not been democratic and cannot be considered fair or legitimate."