Georgia Poll Opponents Start Power Handover Talks
Top officials from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's party met with opponents from the Georgian Dream coalition Friday for the first time since the opposition bloc's shock election victory.
The talks are aimed at smoothing a rare peaceful transfer of power in the ex-Soviet state after billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili's bloc unexpectedly defeated Saakashvili's ruling party on Monday after a venomous campaign.
"It is most important to maintain stability and to make sure all processes develop within the legal framework -- a principled agreement on that has been reached," Irakli Alasania, a leading Georgian Dream politician, told journalists after the talks.
"We agreed to continue consultations on a regular basis to make sure the power transfer is democratic and there is no power vacuum," said David Bakradze, the outgoing parliament chairman from Saakashvili's party.
Saakashvili is due to remain in office for another year until his two-term presidency ends, while the parliament will be dominated by his Georgian Dream rivals, sparking fears of possible constitutional disputes.
Neither Saakashvili nor Ivanishvili attended the first talks, which came after tensions erupted across the country over disputed results.
Saakashvili's party accuses Georgian Dream activists of intimidating election officials to overturn results that went against the bloc in several provincial constituencies and force a greater majority in the next parliament.
Georgian Dream is expected to have a significant majority but without enough seats to change the constitution or impeach Saakashvili, although final results have yet to be published.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton phoned Saakashvili Wednesday to praise him for presiding over open and competitive elections and for his statesman-like response to the results, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
Clinton also phoned Ivanishvili to congratulate him on his coalition's victory and to praise Georgians "for actively participating in this historic and peaceful election", Nuland said.
Ivanishvili has announced that his first foreign trip if he is confirmed as prime minister will be to the United States, which he has described as Georgia's "main partner and friend".
Source: Agence France Presse
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