EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Javier Solana
Photo: Reuters
| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
EU Urges Dialog in Georgia
The European Union has called on newly reelected President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili to engage in a dialog with the opposition as it continues to dispute the results of the recent election. EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Javier Solana stated that continuing talks were necessary between the president and the opposition and public organizations in order to create the right conditions before the early parliamentary elections in the spring.
Solana had stated earlier that the Georgian elections were a true competition, although he called for a full investigation of the voting irregularities claimed by the opposition. The OSCE also recognized the election.
According to the official statistics of the Georgian Central Elections Commission, Saakashvili received 53.4 percent of the vote in the January 5 election, which was sufficient to declare him the winner in the first round. Levan Gachechiladze received 25.67 percent of the vote, Badri Patarkatsishvili 7.1 percent and Shalva Natelashvili 6.49 percent. Three other candidates received less than 5 percent of votes. The opposition is claiming massive falsification of those results.
www.kommersant.com
|
|
|
