Georgian leaders resigns for polls

TBILISI – Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili stepped down yesterday to start campaigning for an early presidential vote, officials said.

Saakashvili resigned as required by national law, handing over his powers to close ally, parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze, said presidential spokesman Vano Noniashvili. The parliament also voted 148-1 to endorse Saakashvili’s order to set the presidential vote for January 5.”I’m sure that January 5 will go down in Georgia’s history as the beginning of a big move forward,” Saakashvili said in televised statement late Saturday.Saakashvili called the election to defuse tensions after police dispersed opposition rallies earlier this month with clubs and tear gas, injuring hundreds.The breakdown has raised doubts about the US-allied Saakashvili’s commitments to democracy and drawn strong criticism in the West.Saakashvili, who sought to shed Russia’s influence and integrate Georgia into the West, has defended the crackdown on protesters and the state of emergency order as a necessary response to what he described as a coup attempt staged by Moscow.Russia angrily rejected the allegations.The US-educated Saakashvili has won praise among many Georgians for his efforts to integrate this small Caucasus nation with the West since his election in January 2004.But he has faced growing discontent over the slow pace of reforms, persistent poverty and what critics call increasingly authoritarian policies.Nampa-APThe parliament also voted 148-1 to endorse Saakashvili’s order to set the presidential vote for January 5.”I’m sure that January 5 will go down in Georgia’s history as the beginning of a big move forward,” Saakashvili said in televised statement late Saturday.Saakashvili called the election to defuse tensions after police dispersed opposition rallies earlier this month with clubs and tear gas, injuring hundreds.The breakdown has raised doubts about the US-allied Saakashvili’s commitments to democracy and drawn strong criticism in the West.Saakashvili, who sought to shed Russia’s influence and integrate Georgia into the West, has defended the crackdown on protesters and the state of emergency order as a necessary response to what he described as a coup attempt staged by Moscow.Russia angrily rejected the allegations.The US-educated Saakashvili has won praise among many Georgians for his efforts to integrate this small Caucasus nation with the West since his election in January 2004.But he has faced growing discontent over the slow pace of reforms, persistent poverty and what critics call increasingly authoritarian policies.Nampa-AP