TBILISI: Georgia's ruling party on Sunday claimed victory in local election runoffs, but the opposition headed by jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili -- on hunger strike for a month -- rejected official results as fraudulent.
The runoffs took place during a political crisis with Saakashvili, a Western darling who was Georgia's president from 2004-2013, jailed earlier this month after returning from exile in secret, days ahead of the first round.
The pro-Western reformer has been on hunger strike to protest against his imprisonment, which he says is politically motivated, and the United States has voiced concern over his condition.
On Sunday, the central election commission said the ruling Georgian Dream party won narrowly in all but one municipality where candidates had faced a challenge by Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM).
"I congratulate everyone with our victory in the second round, we won in all municipalities," Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said in televised remarks.
But the opposition said it would not recognise the results, with UNM chairman and Tbilisi mayoral hopeful Nika Melia accusing Georgian Dream of "stealing elections".
"Elections are no more in this country," he said. "Compatriots, you who share the values of European democracy, prepare for an uncompromising struggle," Melia added.
"The struggle will be difficult but will not end until there is a possibility of holding free and fair elections in this country."
After the first round on October 2, Georgian Dream led the local elections in party lists, while UNM mayoral hopefuls were ahead in a number of big cities.
At the time, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the ballot was marred by allegations of "intimidation, vote-buying, pressure on candidates and voters".
The US embassy expressed "doubts about the overall fairness" of the vote, while the Council of Europe rights watchdog said the ballot was "a lost opportunity for local democracy in Georgia."
The protracted political crisis in the ex-Soviet country stems from last year's parliamentary elections narrowly won by the ruling party and also branded fraudulent by the opposition.
Saakashvili's jailing further deepened the crisis.
Doctors have said Saakashvili faces an imminent risk of fatal health complications as he has an underlying blood disorder that makes hunger strike particularly dangerous.
But Georgia's health ministry has rejected their recommendation to hospitalise Saakashvili. In the largest anti-government demonstration in a decade, tens of thousands flooded onto the streets in Tbilisi on October 14 demanding his release. - AFP
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