Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s party on Wednesday rejected calls for him to resign following the stunning opposition election victory that will transform Georgia’s political landscape. The victory of the Georgian Dream coalition of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili in parliamentary polls will give Georgia a new government and may cool tensions with its top foe Russia which cautiously welcomed the result. Saakashvili had gracefully conceded a surprise defeat in Monday’s vote and promised to facilitate the formation of the next government, a rarity in an ex-Soviet region used to revolutions and autocrats who cling to their chairs. But the opposition leader, who may himself become prime minister, has already called on the president to resign immediately — a demand that Saakashvili’s party warned could cause confrontation. “Speaking about snap presidential polls today shows disrespect to the Georgian people and violates the constitution,” the outgoing chairman of parliament from the ruling party, David Bakradze, told a news conference.
