GEORGIA: Georgian opposition leaders yesterday walked out of a two-hour meeting with President Eduard Shevardnadze, saying talks to put an end to post-election unrest had broken down.
Thousands have staged sporadic demonstrations in the capital since the November 2nd parliamentary polls, accusing the former Soviet foreign minister's government of ballot-stuffing and intimidating voters.
"I warned the president that he was pushing the country towards civil confrontation, conflict and trouble," Mr Mikhail Saakashvili, an opposition leader, told reporters. "The president does not want to satisfy our demands."
Russian news agency Interfax quoted Mr Shevardnadze as saying the opposition had demanded the polls declared null and void. "The demands put forward by the opposition were unrealisable because they demanded that the elections should be declared invalid," it quoted him as saying.
Thousands of demonstrators continued to protest in the capital Tbilisi yesterday over the election.
Mr Shevardnadze met at a government residence with Mr Saakashvili, leader of the National Movement; Ms Nino Burdzhanadze, leader of the Democrats; and Mr Zurab Zhvania.The meeting came after the defence minister, Mr David Tevzadze, said the situation was now "practically out of control".
Protesters took to the streets of Tbilisi on Saturday, six days after the election, which international observers said was "spectacularly flawed" in favour of the pro-Shevardnadze bloc, For A New Georgia. Yesterday, Mr Shevardnadze walked among protesters outside the parliament building to offer talks with opposition leaders but rejected resignation demands, saying he "cannot allow people who would destroy and devastate everything to come to power".
Ms Burdzhanadze said Mr Shevardnadze must acknowledge the elections were unfair, call a new vote and punish officials responsible for alleged falsifications.
Election officials said last night after ballots from 91 per cent of polling stations had been counted that For a New Georgia had polled 21.4 per cent, slightly ahead of the opposition Revival party's 20.1 per cent. The National Movement had 18.4 per cent, the Labour party had 12.3 per cent and the Democrats just over 8 per cent. The result of the election is seen as a key indicator of who will succeed Mr Shevardnadze when he leaves office in 2005.
Mr Tevzadze seemed to hint at the possibility of a violent crackdown if the situation deteriorated any further. "I think nothing good is going on here at the moment," he said. "The situation is actually uncontrollable." Protesters said an elderly woman was shot when police opened fire on an opposition bus on Saturday, but this was denied by the interior ministry.
Hundreds of riot police were guarding the presidential offices and demonstrators also blocked the path of the presidential motorcade, prompting an official warning that "appropriate measures" would meet any future incident. - (Guardian Service, Reuters)