Georgian Polls Close, Opposition Protests Planned

The BBC reports that polling stations in Georgia have closed after today’s parliamentary election with an exit poll suggesting that the ruling United National Movement party might have won as much as 63 percent of the vote. If the poll is correct, the opposition attracted just 14 percent. Therefore it comes as no surprise to discover that even before the polls closed the opposition were preparing to stage street protests in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

The election is being seen as a test of Georgia’s commitment to democracy under the pro-Western Mr Saakashvili.

“In Georgia our democracy is alive and well,” he insisted, after voting on Wednesday.

But the opposition urged its supporters to join a late-night demonstration.

“The exit poll is the first sign that these elections were rigged,” protested Levan Gachechiladze, a leader of the main opposition United Opposition Council.

Opposition voters echoed the claims.

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Georgia’s opposition has already called mass protests for Tbilisi.

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Election day was marred by incidents of violence in or near the breakaway region of Abkhazia.

A bus carrying voters came under fire, leaving several people injured and sparking a gun battle that lasted for 20 minutes, witnesses said. The government blamed Abkhaz separatists.

The opposition also said one of its activists was killed in a district bordering Abkhazia as he went out to vote.