Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is expected to pass his first electoral test since a 2008 war with Russia on Sunday, aided by a fragmented opposition that has struggled to capitalise on public anger over his rule, Reuters reported. Sunday's municipal vote, including the first election for mayor of the capital Tbilisi, is also being seen as an early test for potential successors to Saakashvili, who is due to step down in 2013 after a decade in power. The president's democratic credentials are also under the spotlight after Western monitors found serious shortcomings in the 2008 presidential vote, but there have been no complaints of serious violations so far. Relations with former Soviet master Russia remain fraught, with some opposition leaders calling for closer ties in the hope of ending a Russian embargo on Georgian wine and mineral water, and restoring direct flights between the countries. An opinion poll showed that jobs and poverty top the list of voter concerns. The Georgian economy shrank 3.9 percent last year, but forecasts up to 5.0 percent growth in 2010. -- SPA
