RUSSIA: Georgia's president-elect Mr Mikhail Saakashvili warned Russia yesterday that he would not tolerate interference from Moscow in efforts to rebuild his impoverished nation.
The huge scale of Mr Saakashvili's victory in Sunday's vote became clear yesterday from early counts. With 14 per cent of votes tallied, the US-educated lawyer had won 96.7 per cent, election officials said, with 83 per cent of eligible voters going to the polls.
Mr Saakashvili (36) had celebrated victory on Sunday evening after authoritative exit polls gave him 85.8 per cent of votes.
The election drew broad praise from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which fiercely criticised November parliamentary elections. These had sparked the mass protests that led to the ousting of Mr Eduard Shevardnadze.
"This was not a perfect election by any means, but there were many, many positive things that we observed and are proud to report on," said Mr Bruce George, head of the OSCE's 450-strong observation team.
"The authorities showed the political will to conduct democratic elections."
"The international mission concluded that the presidential election did demonstrate notable progress on previous elections in this country," he said.
"I believe yesterday was a pretty good day for the people of this country."
German Chancellor Mr Gerhard Schröder congratulated Mr Saakashvili, inviting him to Berlin and saying Georgia now "had the chance to make further progress on the way to firmly establishing democracy, the rule of law and a market economy".
Mr Saakashvili, who has vowed to rebuild a shattered economy, crush rampant corruption and soothe separatist tensions in several regions, said he wanted openness and equality to characterise Georgia's new relationship with old master Moscow.
"We understand that Russia needs guarantees to protect its southern borders," he told Germany's Die Welt newspaper.
"We are prepared to reach an agreement with Moscow so Russia does not feel threatened. In return, Russia must give up its old thinking about an eternal military presence in Georgia."
Moscow has long dragged its heels over closing two military bases in Georgia, and complains that Chechen rebels pass with impunity through Georgia's Pankisi Gorge.
"Moscow should at least guarantee that it will not interfere in our internal affairs. Unfortunately that has not been the case," he said, adding that Georgia wanted to have closer ties with the United States, EU and NATO, as well as Russia.
Mr Aslan Abashidze, leader of Georgia's autonomous Adzharia region that had threatened to boycott the election, said he would work with Mr Saakashvili, a man he has long opposed.
There has been no such offer from the leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where thousands died a decade ago in wars that won the two regions de facto independence from Tbilisi.