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Opposition Leaders Say Victory is Very Near
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| Opposition’s huge symbol hangs over the President’s office. Click on image to view other pictures. |
“Let’s give Shevardnadze 60 minutes to resign,” Mikheil Saakashvili, main opposition leader told the tens of thousands of protesters outside the Parliament.
“We are close to our victory. Please keep calm. We have to be patient for a little while and we will win,” Nino Burjanadze, Chairperson of the outgoing Parliament, who declared herself as an acting President.
It seems that the opposition leaders are waiting for some good news to come within the hour, because they seemed very optimistic, while addressing the protesters.
There are no confirmed reports that Shevardnadze is really at the Krtsanisi governmental residence.
Decision comes after several units of the special-purpose units of the Interior Ministry and Justice Ministry and several battalions of the Defense Ministry announced that they will not obey Shevardnadze’s orders any more.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, dispatched in Georgia by President Putin tried to mediate between the opposition and Eduard Shevardnadze to resolve the standoff. Ivanov met with the opposition leaders twice on November 23. He also held talks with Shevardnadze.
Shevardnadze says he is ready for compromise, “even regarding the election issues,” however he sets ultimatum to the opposition.
“I am ready for a dialogue and for making a compromise on condition that they [the protesters] leave the State Chancellery and the Parliament. I am even ready for the compromise,” Shevardnadze told reporters after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on November 23.
He emphasized the importance of the statement made by Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze this morning.
“I am against the use of force. However Defense Minister said that he is ready to obey all of my orders,” Shevardnadze said.
However Eduard Shevardnadze’s claims that he controls the troops is undermined by the facts on the ground, as more and more units of the defense and interior ministries join the protesters. Chief of Tbilisi and Rustavi police departments also refused to obey Shevardnadze’s orders.
Thousand Keep Protesting to Defend “Bloodless Revolution”
Thousands of protesters spent a sleepless vigil night celebrating “bloodless revolution,” after the crowd seized Parliament and State Chancellery buildings on November 22; however opposition leaders say it is too early for celebration, as Eduard Shevardnadze announced state of emergency.
Tens of thousands protesters gathered this morning outside the parliament building following the calls of the opposition leaders to keep rallying “in order to defend success and accomplish bloodless, velvet revolution with final victory.”
“We will celebrate the final victory over the Shevardnadze when acting President Nino Burjanadze will set date for new presidential and parliamentary elections,” Mikheil Saakashvili, main opposition leader, said in a televised address to supporters this morning.
Nino Burjanadze, the Chairperson of the outgoing Parliament and the opposition leader, declared herself as an acting President, saying “Eduard Shevardnadze is incapable to perform on the post of the President anymore.”
After fleeing from the Parliament building, as the protesters stormed the chamber, Eduard Shevardnadze announced state of emergency. However it is unclear whether the state of emergency will be implemented or not.
There are no signs that the President is in full control of troops in the country, as many high-ranking law enforcement officers have already refused to obey Shevardnadze’s orders.
The state of emergency should be approved by the Parliament, however no session of the newly elected Parliament, which boycotted by the opposition, was held so far.
Mikheil Saakashvili called supporters this noon for march on Interior Ministry, to prevent the Shevardnadze’s loyalist lawmakers to hold the session.
“Shevardnadze intends to convene Parliament in the Interior Ministry. So I urge to go to the Interior Ministry and seize the building. Another part of the protester should go to the State TV Channel building,” Mikheil Saakashvili said, while addressing the tens of thousands supporters outside the building.
Mikheil Saakashvili’s statement follows after around 50 members of the special riot police of the Interior Ministry joined the protesters and refused to obey Shevardnadze’s orders.
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| Armed bodyguards paving the way for Shevardnadze to drive him away from seized Parliament. |
He said the President Shevardnadze, who announced state of emergency after the opposition supporters stormed the Parliament and the State Chancellery on November 22, did not ordered the troops to use force.
“The army doesn’t consider it necessary yet to use military force to establish order,” Tevzadze said.
“It is necessary to establish such a regime that would ensure the citizens’ safety until the situation is settled,” the Defense Minister said at a specially convened new briefing in the morning on November 23.
He said that the Parliament and the State Chancellery, which is the President’s office, “are still illegally seized.”
“Recent development led the process out of the constitutional frames. I don’t mean that protest rallies, I mean that there is a threat of unrest, robbery and looting,” Tevzadze said.
He said “it is necessary to establish such a regime that would ensure the citizens’ safety until the situation is settled.”
Russian President Putin dispatched late on November 22 Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to Georgia. He made a surprise move and unexpectedly appeared at the protest rally and vowed that Russia will not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs.
After meeting with the opposition leaders Igor Ivanov held talks with Eduard Shevardnadze, however none of them made comments after the talks. The Russian Foreign Minister intends to convene new conference in Tbilisi later today.
Western media reports say that Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of State held a phone conversation with Eduard Shevardnadze late on November 22. Powell urged Shevardnadze to peacefully work with the opposition. Powell said he would try to visit the former Soviet republic someday, but U.S. officials insisted that he does not currently have travel plans.
