In front of the American embassy in Tbilisi, January 22, 2008
Photo: Valery Melnikov
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Georgian Opposition Protests at U.S. Embassy
The Georgian opposition is holding a public meeting in front of the American embassy in Tbilisi to protest what they say is the United States' “cynical” attitude toward the Georgian people, as expressed in its support of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Simultaneously, Saakashvili is holding consultations in parliament on the introduction of constitutional amendments demanded by the opposition, demonstrating his readiness for compromise.
The meeting in front of the U.S. embassy, which is located in a Tbilisi suburb and is known locally as the “Georgian Pentagon,” attracted fewer attendees than previous meetings. Almost all of the attendees were affiliated with the People's Party, led by Koba Davitashvili. Meeting organizers complained that public transportation was halted several kilometers from the embassy, which occupies a huge complex of several buildings, parking lots and a helicopter landing site. The protester stood across the street, holding signs in English and listening to their leaders lecture over loudspeakers.
Simultaneously with the disputed presidential election, a referendum was held on Georgia's entry into NATO. Over 70 percent of voters supported that move, and those data are not disputed by anyone. The opposition has, in the meantime, dropped its charges of vote tampering against the Georgian Central Election Commission and is now restricting itself to protests of the violations noted by the OSCE, insisting that those violations are already fatal for Georgian democracy.
The opposition is demanding that the barrier of support for entry into the Georgian Parliament be lowered from 7 percent of votes to 5 percent of votes. The Council of Europe agrees with them. That would require a change in the Georgian Constitution, which is now being discussed in the parliament. “We are listening to the demands of the Georgian people,” commented Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Georgy Baramidze.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Jan. 23, 2008
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