Nogaideli asks for early Georgian election

TBILISI, Georgia, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Former Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said Saturday opposition leaders should push for a presidential election be held soon.

Nogaideli said an early presidential election is necessary because of the questionable actions of President Mikhail Saakashvili, ITAR-TASS reported.

"Saakashvili has failed to live up to the population's expectations. But there is no clear demand in society for an early presidential election, and all opposition forces should actively work toward such demand in the next several weeks so that authorities would have to call an election," the former prime minister said.

Some unidentified Georgian politicians suspect Saakashvili will be pressured to resign this year, despite his claims he will serve until 2013.

ITAR-TASS said if an early election does come about in Georgia, top presidential candidates include Nogaideli, former Georgian Parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze and Irakly Alasania, who previously served as Georgia's permanent representative to the United Nations.