The defeat in Georgia's parliamentary polls of Russia's bitter foe President Mikhail Saakashvili may remove some poison from venomous bilateral relations, but Moscow should not expect major policy changes from Tbilisi.
Georgia on Tuesday awaited the outcome of hard-fought parliamentary polls as the opposition threatened a dramatic victory over President Mikheil Saakashvili's long-dominant ruling party.
Georgia votes in parliamentary polls Monday with President Mikheil Saakashvili's party facing a billionaire-led opposition in a test of the ex-Soviet state's democracy overshadowed by a torture scandal.
Georgia's interior minister resigned Thursday after the release of videos this week showing the torture and rape of prison inmates sparked fury and a wave of nationwide protests.
Barring a last minute intervention by the US Supreme Court, a mentally handicapped man will be executed Monday in Georgia, despite protests from around the world -- and from the victim's family.