GEORGIA: Riot police at the ready as protestors continue to demand the resignation of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili

Riot police mobilised near anti-government protests in central Tbilisi on Saturday (November 3) during a second day of unrest outside the Georgian parliament building. Ten thousand Georgians demanded the resignation of President Mikhail Saakashvili, a much lower turnout than the 70,000 opposition supporters who protested on Friday (November 2) in the biggest show of unrest since the peaceful revolution that swept Saakashvili to power four years ago. However, the crowd's demands were more extreme. Levan Gachechiladze, a member of parliament, said the "people's movement" had added the demand that Saakashvili resign to its call for an early election. "Our national movement has added a new historic decision to our demands and it is the demand of (President) Mikhail Saakashvili's resignation," he announced to the rally participants. Protesters, some waving banners and wearing white bandanas bearing the slogan "I'm not scared", vowed to stay on the streets until the Western-allied government meets their demands for an early parliamentary election and changes to voting rules. They were shouting "Go, go" "go" throughout the rally. Tina Khidasheli, another of the Republican Party's leaders, added: "Georgian people have given (President) Saakashvili a chance of one month, starting from September 28 they had a lots of time to consider and reconsider their decisions. We have nothing left after yesterday's cynical statements by the ruling party than to require from this government to resign and to live Georgian nation." Protesters vowed to stay on the streets until the Western-allied government meets their demands for an early parliamentary election and changes to voting rules. The street protests have drawn comparisons with the Rose Revolution, the wave of mainly peaceful protests that led to Saakashvili replacing Eduard Shevardnadze as president. Saakashvili's opponents accuse him of authoritarian rule and human rights abuses, although not on the same scale as in some other ex-Soviet states. They also say living standards are not rising as quickly as many had hoped after the revolution. Opposition supporters want a parliamentary election brought forward to early 2008 from late next year so they can win the vote and use their majority to abolish the presidency. Billionaire businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili has backed the movement. Interfax news agency reported he left for Israel on Saturday after addressing the crowd the previous day. Saakashvili, who is in Tbilisi, has not commented on the protests. The president, a key U.S. ally who wants to take Georgia into NATO and the European Union, frequently flaunts his democratic credentials.

ITN Source | November 4, 2007

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