GEORGIA:Mikhail Saakashvili declared himself the "landslide" victor of Georgia's presidential election yesterday, and pledged to polish his tarnished reputation by boosting the economy, strengthening democracy and improving chilly ties with Russia.
With nearly all votes counted from Saturday's snap ballot, election officials said Mr Saakashvili had won more than 50 per cent of support, enough to see him re-elected without the need for a potentially tricky run-off against the top opposition candidate.
"We expect to win around 53 to 54 or maybe even 55 per cent of the votes. Basically, it's a landslide," said Mr Saakashvili, who called the election after huge protests in November against his failure to end poverty and corruption and his allegedly autocratic style of rule.
The police's use of rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse demonstrators, and their ransacking of an opposition television station that was subsequently taken off air, also sullied Mr Saakashvili's reputation as a progressive leader in the turbulent Caucasus.
The European Union praised the general conduct of the election but urged Mr Saakashvili (40), leader of the 2003 Rose Revolution, to investigate allegations of fraud that opposition leaders claim robbed them of victory.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana called the election "truly competitive" but said allegations of irregularities should be cleared up thoroughly.
Nato, which Georgia wants to join, welcomed what it said was the international monitors' view that the vote was a "viable expression" of Georgian voters' free choice, but said it should address irregularities cited by monitors.
"I believe there are many aspects that need to be criticised, this is still a country in transition," Mr Saakashvili said. "But we are on the right track and this election has just proven that."
He also insisted that he had no problem with opposition plans to protest. "That's fine. Everybody has the right to have peaceful rallies," he said. "I think unruly behaviour will not be tolerated, but peaceful rallies are one of the ways to do political campaigns."
Washington and major European nations have encouraged Georgia's bid for eventual membership of the EU and Nato, and see it as a vital ally in an area that is traditionally dominated by Russia and forms a key route for westward exports of oil and gas.
Moscow denounced the election as an undemocratic sham, but Mr Saakashvili vowed to improve ties with Russia and denied that he would use force to bring breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia back under his control. "We certainly have no plans whatsoever and no intention to use military force because that would be insane," he said. "Georgia is a booming economy and the last thing we need now is to scare away investors."
