Breakaway Georgian Region of Abkhazia Undertakes Parliamentary Elections

TBILISI, Georgia -- The breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia has voted in parliamentary elections its leaders hope will confer long-awaited international recognition, but Georgia's president and the West dismissed the ballot and said results will not be recognized.

Abkhazia's status has become a sensitive issue between Georgia and Russia, which has given tacit support to separatists there and in nearby South Ossetia. Although the conflicts remain frozen, analysts say the region is a potential flashpoint as tensions mount between the two countries. Georgia accuses Russia of interfering with its internal affairs, while Moscow counters its southern neighbor has become increasingly anti-Russian as it seeks integration with the West. ...