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U.S. Says it did not Ask Shevardnadze to Resign

The U.S. Department of State spokesman Richard Boucher said at a news briefing on November 24 that the U.S. did not asked Georgia’s ex-President to step down.

Richard Boucher said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke to Eduard Shevardnadze on November 22 and again on November 23, shortly after Shevardnadze resigned, in response to mass protests sparked after fraudulent November 2 parliamentary elections.

“But we did not tell him what to do. We encouraged him to make decisions that would lead Georgia forward in a peaceful manner within the constitution of Georgia,” spokesman Richard Boucher told a daily briefing.

“The secretary didn’t discuss resignation with him … but I think we made clear in our Sunday statement that we do think he made some hard decisions,” he added.

In statements last week Washington made clear that it was not prepared to back Shevardnadze in the political crisis over the elections, marred by mass ballot fraud.

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