Georgians choose successor to ousted Shevardnadze

Six weeks after President Eduard Shevardnadze’s dramatic resignation in the face of mass demonstrations, Georgians today vote for his successor, widely expected to be the man who led the protests.

Mikhail Saakashvili, the 36-year-old Western-educated president of the Tbilisi city council, is the overwhelming favourite against four relatively unknown challengers. A fifth challenger dropped out of the race late yesterday.