Saakashvili's Position Strengthened

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement scored a hefty victory in both the Tbilisi mayoral elections and municipal polls across Georgia over the weekend of May 29-30, in line with our core view. The incumbent Tbilisi mayor and United National Movement candidate Gigi Ugulava won re-election with 55.2% of the vote (with 742 of 774 precincts having reported results), with main challenger and former Georgia UN Ambassador Irakli Alasania taking just 19.1%. We believe the victory will bolster President Mikheil Saakashvili's position, as well as setting Ugulava up for a run at the Presidency in

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