May 21, 2008
Helena Bedwell, Bloomberg

Georgians vote today in an early parliamentary election that tests confidence in the pro-Western ``Rose Revolution'' and its leader Mikheil Saakashvili's policies.

The U.S.-educated Saakashvili, 40, has come under Western pressure since he imposed a state of emergency in November. The opposition has accused the government of vote-rigging and said it plans to stage a protest rally later today. Voting was also marred by shooting in separatist Abkhazia.

Georgia, with a booming $10 billion economy that the government has forecast to expand by as much as 9 percent this year, is crossed by a major pipeline carrying crude oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean, bypassing both the Middle East and Russia and increasing its strategic importance to the West.

``These elections are being closely watched, not only by our well-wishers but by our enemies,'' Saakashvili told reporters as he voted in Tbilisi today. ``Georgia will prove that it can organize a democratic election. We must pleasantly surprise our supporters in the West.''

Saakashvili swept to power following the bloodless 2003 ``Rose Revolution,'' vowing to lead his country into the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to reduce dependence on Russia and to eliminate what he called corruption under his predecessor, Eduard Shevardnadze.

Protest Rally

Levan Gachechiladze, the leader of the United Opposition Council, and Saakashvili's closest rival in the January presidential election, said the election results will not reflect the true will of the people.

``The government has done everything to make sure the vote is falsified,'' Gachechiladze told reporters as he cast his vote. ``That's why we are holding a huge rally tonight, where we'll declare the true result to our supporters.''

Nine political parties and three blocs are vying for representation in the 150-seat parliament. Saakashvili said the new parliament will have more powers than the previous one. As many as 3.5 million voters in the country could cast their votes nationwide at 3,500 polling stations. Georgia's two breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not voting.

Gunfire Exchanged

Georgian police exchanged gunfire with Russian-backed separatist forces in Abkhazia today, the country's deputy interior minister said.

The skirmish broke out on the border with Abkhazia after separatists opened fire on Georgian civilians trying to leave Abkhaz territory to vote, Eka Zhguladze said on state television. Some of the civilians were injured and no deaths were reported, Zhguladze said.

Tensions have escalated in recent weeks after Russia bolstered its peacekeeping forces in Abkhazia, which broke away from Georgia in a war in the early 1990s. Saakashvili has pledged to bring Abkhazia back under central-government control.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Preliminary results from exit polls are due immediately after voting ends. The Central Elections Commission is due to deliver its preliminary results by noon tomorrow.

`Looking for Cheating'

``We're looking for cheating during the vote-count, intimidation of voters and an excessive police presence at polling stations,'' said Klas Bergman, spokesman for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is monitoring the vote, this week.

All parties support closer ties with the West, including EU and NATO membership. This is likely to anger Russia, which has protested NATO encroaching on its borders.

Under Saakashvili, Georgia's relations with its northern neighbor deteriorated even further after then-President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to establish direct economic links with Abkhazia.

Georgia faces ``a difficult international situation'' including ``pressure and sabotage,'' Saakashvili said today as he voted. He didn't mention Russia by name.

All political parties and blocks have carried out daily consultations with observers from the OSCE, the continent's main human rights and democracy watchdog, in Tbilisi during the past few days. As many as 4,500 observers are spread across Georgia to monitor the vote, the Central Elections Commission said.

``We are not here to support one particular political party,'' Joao Soares, who leads the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's observation mission in Georgia said yesterday.

The World Bank ranked Georgia as the world's top economic reformer in 2007, said Roy Southworth, the bank's country manager for Georgia.

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