Saakashvili claims victory in Georgia

TBILISI, Georgia, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili has claimed re-election in polls that European election monitors say were largely democratic.

Saakashvili declared victory despite allegations of vote rigging by opposition leaders, Euronews.net said Sunday.

Monitors with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said the election was consistent with international democratic standards, but suggested some matters would need examination, the BBC reported.

Early polling results point toward a victory for Saakashvili, but it was unclear if the margin of victory was enough to avoid a run-off.

Georgian voters were also to decide whether to conduct a parliamentary election in the near future and an initiative to join NATO.

Saakashvili replaced former President Eduard Shevardnadze following the 2003 bloodless Rose Revolution in Georgia.