TBILISI, Georgia — Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has conceded defeat in the parliamentary election and says the opposition now has the right to form a government.
Speaking Tuesday on television, he said: “It’s
clear from the preliminary results that the opposition has the lead and
it should form the government. And I as president should help them with
this.”
Early results show an opposition coalition led by
billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili with what appears to be an
insurmountable lead as voters turned away from Saakashvili and the party
that has been in power for almost nine years.
