Georgians began casting ballots today to determine whether their country will continue to be led by Mikhail Saakashvili, the brash young president who four years ago set out to transform the bankrupt former Soviet republic into a modern European state.

US President George Bush, greeted with a huge outpouring of affection in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, expressed strong support for the fledgling democracy today and said: “You’ve got a solid friend in America.”