Georgian poll marred by irregularities, says report

GEORGIA:GEORGIA'S GENERAL election in May was marred by irregular vote counting, biased media coverage and intimidation of opponents of President Mikheil Saakashvili, Europe's biggest democracy watchdog has said in a scathing final report on the ballot.

Mr Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM) party enjoyed a landslide victory in the vote, which the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said at the time was much cleaner than a presidential election which he won in January.

Georgia is the main ally of the United States and the European Union in the strategic Caucasus region. Washington has portrayed the country as a Western-style democracy bullied by Russia and other, often autocratic, ex-Soviet neighbours, especially in the wake of last month's fighting between Moscow's and Tbilisi's forces.

But the OSCE's final analysis of the May ballot revealed far deeper flaws in Georgia's electoral system than did its initial findings.

The report said there were "many significant shortcomings" in the counting of the vote, and "widespread and serious irregularities" in the way election authorities handled about 1,400 election-related complaints and appeals.

At least six opposition activists who were taking legal action against electoral irregularities were beaten, the report said.

"In one severe case, an opposition candidate's leg was broken by unknown attackers after his car was first forced to stop," the report noted.

"For the most part, the election administration and courts did not give due consideration to complaints and appeals in the pre-election period, with an apparent bias in favour of the UNM and public officials," the OSCE said.

"On contentious issues, [Central Election Committee] members failed to act independently as required by law, and decisions were voted on along political lines."

Mr Saakashvili's party also benefited from the majority of media coverage and from illegal campaigning by government officials.

When Mr Saakashvili used riot police to break up street protests against him last November, he also closed down Imedi, the television station most critical of him.

After reopening, Imedi only returned to showing news and discussion programmes after the election, the OSCE said.