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| Mikhail Saakashvili, third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party [File Photo] |
Tbilisi: People in Georgia voted
in ‘historic’ parliamentary election on Monday to choose a new parliament.
The election is
considered to decide the fate of the nation and to decide
the future of the pro-Western government of President Mikhail Saakashvili who
came in power in 2003.
"It is a day of historic importance
for Georgia. The fate of the Georgian state is being decided," Mr
Saakashvili, whose campaign was hurt by the prison abuse scandal, said after
casting his ballot in Tbilisi.
Voters are choosing
candidates for 150 seats in parliament. Georgia has changed the constitution to
give the prime minister many of the powers now held by the president.
Parliament will name a new prime minister next year after Mr. Saakashvili's
second and last presidential term ends.
Monday's election pits
Mr. Saakashvili's ruling United National Movement against Georgian Dream – a
coalition founded by pro-Russian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Mr. Saakashvili said a
victory for Georgian Dream and Ivanishvili as prime minister would shift
Georgia away from the West.
Ivanishvili's backers accused the president of
being a dictator. They blame him for the brief but disastrous 2008 war with
Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Mr. Saakashvili's
campaign was hurt last week when videos surfaced of prison guards beating and
raping inmates.
More than 51,000
international election monitors and observers are keeping an eye on Monday's
voting.