Tbilisi - The Georgian President, Mr Eduard Shevardnadze, declared yesterday that his Citizens' Union of Georgia party had won an overwhelming victory in a hotly disputed parliamentary election.
However, the second placed Revival of Georgia bloc alleged that the contest was rigged and threatened to protest against the results.
With more than 80 per cent of Sunday's ballots counted, the CUG held a commanding 52 per cent to 26.5 per cent lead over Revival, headed by Mr Aslan Abashidze.
The Central Election Commission confirmed Mr Shevardnadze's predictions of an overwhelming victory, saying that the CUG could capture 125 seats or more, to 65 for Revival.