Georgian voters on Saturday began casting their ballots in the presidential election in which former presidential Mikhail Saakashvili is vying for the nation's top job against six other candidates amid opposition claims that the vote was rigged.
Saakashvili, who swept to power in 2004, called the snap election following clashes between police and protestors in November and then resigned in order to run as a candidate.
Polls showed that Saakashvili and business tycoon Levan Gachechiladze are front runners in the race.
Saakashvili, who has been predicted to gain more than 40-percent support, has to win 50 percent plus one vote to be re-elected. Otherwise, a run-off will be held between the top two candidates.
"This is already the most competitive election in Georgia," Saakashvili told reporters after voting on Saturday, accompanied by his wife and two sons.
"We are confident, we think our election is well free and fair, we are committed to having free and fair elections, we are committed to having Georgia as a beacon of democracy for other parts of the world," he said.
U.S.-educated Saakashvili, who was criticized in the West for his handling of the November protest, defended himself by capitalizing on economic achievement.
"I don't think our reputation needs improvement. Georgia is a beacon of democracy, a beacon of economic reforms. Georgia is the most spectacular case of development worldwide," he said, noting Georgia's economy expanded by 14 percent in 2007.
The former president pledged to improve relations with Moscow, which have been strained by an array of disputes, including Georgia's bid to join NATO and Russia's economic embargo against the former Soviet republic.
"We want good relations with Russia, but it must be based on Georgia's independence, sovereignty and the European future," said Saakashvili, who is a candidate of the United National Movement.
However, the opposition said the government was manipulating the election and pledged to provide evidence to the observer group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
David Saganelidze, campaign head of the New Rights party candidate Davit Gamkrelidze, said the party had registered technical and deliberate violations on election day.
"People were taken by mini buses of the United National Movement from one polling station to another" for the same person to vote more than once, local media quoted him as saying.
Acting President Nino Burjanadze said she voted for the stable and democratic development of the country and called on the people to cast their ballots on the eve of Orthodox Christmas.
"The voting process was held in a democratic and transparent atmosphere," a local television network quoted her as saying after voting.
Some 3.3 million eligible voters of the country's 4.7 million people are expected to vote at more than 3,500 polling stations, including more than 40 abroad, according to the election authorities.
There are also polling stations in Iraq and the Serbian province of Kosovo for some 2,100 Georgian servicemen to vote.
Source:Xinhua
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