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News :: Globalization |
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SITUATION OUT OF CONTROL |
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by Dave Johnson
(No verified email address) |
10 Nov 2003
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Look like Bolivia all over again is about to go down Georgia
MOSCOW, Nov. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze renewed his plea to hold more talks to solve the deteriorating political crisis sparked by alleged election fraud after a failed talk with the opposition on Sunday. |
After the late-night meeting, which dragged on for two hours, the oppositions vowed to press on with their protests to demand Shevardnadze's resignation.
Mikhail Saakashvili, leader of the opposition party National Movement said the president did not want to satisfy their demands and mass protests would continue.
Several thousand protesters has been gathering in front of the parliamentary building in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi since Saturday, demanding the resignation of the president while claiming the election was invalid due to falsification tricks in favor of the president's party.
This marked the height of a row of protests in the capital since the Nov. 2 election. Analysts warned that the political stalemate might turn into a state of violence.
Earlier on Sunday, George's Defense Minister David Tevzadze said: "I think things are not good, the situation has practically run out of control, and it has really turned uncontrollable."
However, the minister did not give a direct answer on whether the military forces would intervene if the political confrontation exacerbates.
Instead, he expressed an inclination to abide by the Constitution in case where he had to take positions.
"Everyone knows that our functions are strictly defined by the constitution. The armed forces are on regular duty in line with their plan of action," he said.
MARRED POLL
Election officials of Georgia late Saturday suspended the counting of ballots in the general election amid rising protests.
The Nov. 2 poll has attracted wide attention as it would decidethe successor of Shevardnadze, the 75-year veteran foreign minister of the former Soviet Union,
The fate of a pipeline project to pump Caspian oil to the western market.
Immediately after the vote, Shevardnadze told the press that the polls had been the most fair and transparent since Georgia's independence.
Meanwhile, thousands of voters complained that the polls were rigged by the government and the voter lists were inaccurate.
Bruce George, president of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliament Assembly, told a press conference on Nov. 3 that the elections fell short of a number of OSCE commitments and other international standards for "democraticelections."
However, observers also noted some positive points of the election as it demonstrated an improved legal framework and democratic media coverage.
Although the tensions grew, Shevardnadze refused to meet the opposition demand to declare the polls invalid. He said that it was not his right to do so, the right rested with the election commission and the issue should be decided in court.
According to the latest information from the Central Election Commission, 93 percent of the ballots have been counted. The pro-government election bloc For A New Georgia led by Shevardnadze wonabout 21 percent of the counted vote while the opposition Revival Union party got 19.6 percent and National Movement ranked the third with 18 percent of the vote.
STRUGGLING LEADER
The president made desperate efforts in trying to drag the nation out of the crisis.
Earlier on Sunday, he stepped out of the parliament building, trying to calm the protesters who braved the freezing drizzle to drive home their anger, but only to be shouted at in face by the crowd to "go away!"
Shevardnadze has made several offers to hold talks with the opposition. After the Sunday talks broke down, he would not let gothe hope to settle the problem through peaceful negotiations.
On Monday, he announced his plan to travel to the Black Sea autonomous republic of Adzhara to meet Aslan Abashidze, head of Revival Union, the largest opposition party.
The leader expressed his worries that the nation might slip into a violent civil conflict. However, he refused to resign. "Iam the president elected by the Georgian people. I have no plan toresign," he declared. Enditem
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