ABASHIDZE TO CHALLENGE GEORGIA'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION RETURNS IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

TBILISI, March 31, 2004 - (RIA Novosti). Aslan Abashidze, the leader of Georgia's autonomy of Adzharia, intends to challenge the returns of Georgia's parliamentary elections in the Constitutional court.

"The elections in Adzharia were doomed to failure. The leadership of Georgia from the very start intended to rig the elections in the autonomy," Abashidze said on Wednesday in a live broadcast of the Adzharian TV.

"Twelve out of 15 members of the election commission worked for the ruling party The National Movement and if there was any possibility for rigging the election it is the representatives of the ruling party who could use it first and foremost," Abashidze said. If President Mikhail Saakashvili leaves the Union of Democratic Rennaissance party outside the parliament (Abashidze is this party's leader), it will boomerang him.

According to the data of the Central Election Commission of Georgia, by 15.00, Moscow time, of March 31 the party of Abashidze failed to overcome the 7 per cent barrier for making it to the parliament. It received 6.02% of the votes, with the bulk of the votes garnered in the autonomy.