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                   Georgia Casts Ballots in Test of Democracy

   by James Brooke

   Georgians voted under sunny skies Monday in a parliamentary election
   seen as a political crossroads, for this former Soviet republic, a rare
   democracy in the region.
   The hotly contested vote is the biggest challenge yet for the
   eight-year rule of Mikheil Saakashvili, a close ally of Europe and the
   United States.
   Saakashvili's term expires early next year, and  the winning group in
   today's elections will win the right to appoint a prime minister under
   a new system in which the nation's paramount ruler is to be the prime
   minister.
   Georgia's richest man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has mounted a sudden, and
   strong, challenge to the president.
   Tbilisi company worker Tea Konladze is one voter who has migrated to
   Ivanishvili and his Georgia Dream coalition.  After voting, she talked
   to VOA.
   "He is a hope for Georgia," she said. "He will give a great calm.  And,
   I think, he will give the population, society, a much better life."
   On Saturday, a massive rally of 100,000 Ivanishvili supporters in
   Tbilisi underlined what polls indicate: the opposition is expected to
   win the capital.
   But Saakashvili has deep working class support.
   A Tbilisi driver, Temuri, praises the Georgian president for fighting
   corruption, and bringing stability and jobs to Georgia.  He says he no
   longer has to pay bribes to police and inspectors.  He says President
   Saakashvili promotes Georgia overseas and brings in tourists and
   foreign investors.  He says Georgia will be better off sticking with a
   proven performer.
   During the campaign, the government fought hard against Ivanishvili.
   Government agencies took away his citizenship, imposed $60 million in
   fines, and jailed militants for his coalition.  This did not stop the
   challenger.  And in recent days, the opposition was boosted by video
   clips showing jail guards abusing prisoners.
   Voter Bella Dzebicashvili said the videos pushed her to change her
   vote.  "I changed my mind," she said after voting in Tbilisi.
   "It is impossible to live in such conditions when you are afraid, when
   you are scared everywhere, every time, you can not speak, you can not
   always whisper not to be heard.  It is very difficult."
   At the Saturday rally, Ivanishvili said he smelled victory.
   "Saakashvili's system must be destroyed," he told the crowd massed on
   Tbilisi's main avenue, Rustaveli.  "The fate of the country is being
   decided at these elections."
   Early voting was peaceful.  Leander van Delden, from Holland, chairs
   the European Institute for Democratic Participation, a student observer
   movement.
   "At the moment, things are going fine," he said after voting began
   Monday. "Minor violations are taking place, but it is still only four
   hours into the elections."
   Georgia has a rocky political history.  Two decades ago, violent
   demonstrations led to independence from the Soviet Union.  Since then,
   street protests have overthrown two elected presidents.  Four years
   ago, Georgia lost a war with Russia and two provinces to Russian
   control.
   In recent weeks, the election campaign polarized this nation of 4.5
   million people in two opposing camps.  Analysts fear if the results are
   close and the perception of fraud is high, the losing side could resort
   to violence.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/georgia-casts-ballots-in-test-of-demo
   cracy/1517993.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/georgia-casts-ballots-in-test-of-democracy/1517993.html