Tens of thousands of people protested in Georgia's capital on Monday against President Mikheil Saakashvili, who they said had stolen victory for his ruling party in last week's parliamentary election.
Up to 40,000 opponents demonstrated for four hours in front of the parliament building in central Tbilisi, scene of protests that brought Saakashvili to power in 2003 on a wave of optimism that he would reform the tiny Caucasus nation.
The U.S.-educated lawyer's democratic credentials are under intense scrutiny after he used riot police to crush protests last November, and the opposition say he has rigged a January presidential vote and the May 21 parliamentary election.
A Reuters reporter estimated that up to 40,000 people attended the meeting after an Independence Day military parade, making it the biggest protest rally since Saakashvili's January inauguration. The opposition said over 100,000 had gathered.
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http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Thousands_protest_Saakashvili_poll_win_in_Georgia.html?siteSect=143&sid=9134921&cKey=1211814470000&ty=ti
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