EU Calls on Georgia to Respect Rule of Law, Democracy

European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso called Tuesday on Georgia's new president to build on the political and economic gains of his predecessor, by respecting the rule of law and democracy.

Speaking with outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili, Barroso said "it is important that we share the same values as we bring Georgia closer to Europe ... Georgia must remain a pluralistic democracy."

"The EU has always called for the rule of law, which is essential," he said when asked about 'selective justice' -- the use of the judiciary for political purposes.

The issue is a live one amid speculation that Saakashvili could face criminal charges once he leaves office after his foe Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili backed that possibility.

Saakashvili said the problem was real and he had discussed it with Barroso, recalling how ministers had even named the specific prison he should be sent too.

"That does not fit with the Georgian people's wishes nor democracy," he added as Barroso stressed that Brussels would follow developments closely.

"We want issues to be settled by a political process," he said, adding that the peaceful change in government offered real hope for the future.

Saakashvili, a firm U.S. ally whose second and last term ends when Giorgi Margvelashvili is inaugurated next month, has dominated the tiny Caucasus nation since spearheading the pro-democracy Rose Revolution in 2003.

His candidate lost badly to Margvelashvili -- an ally of Ivanishvili, in the elections Sunday.

Saakashvili has won plaudits and international support for cutting corruption, building new infrastructure and reviving the economy.

However his reforms have also angered many who felt left out while the use of police force to crush opposition protests tarnished his image as a pioneering democrat.

Saakashvili said his 10 years in power had transformed Georgia and he looked forward to the EU's Eastern Partnership summit next month in Lithuania and the initialing of an association accord as part of closer EU ties.

Russia, which fought a brief 2008 war with Georgia, is strongly opposed to the EU forging such links with former Soviet states which it wants to keep under its sphere of influence.