First Day of State of Emergency

Riot police remain deployed on the capital?s main boulevard and adjoining streets – the focal point of yesterday?s unrest ? on Thursday morning, the first day of emergency rule in the country.

With two pro-opposition TV stations off the air and news coverage in the remaining private television stations banned, the Georgian Public Broadcaster?s (GPB) hourly news bulletins are the main source of information for the population. Newspaper circulation is low and internet access is only available to at most 7% of the people.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has ordered that schools be closed for two days on November 8-9 and recommended that universities close too.

Parliament is expected to be convened tomorrow to approve the presidential decree on the state of emergency, which, in the meantime, remains in force.

Mikheil Machavariani, the Vice-Speaker of Parliament, however, said on November 8 he hoped that there would be no need to do this.

?We hope it will be calm today and tomorrow and tension will be defused and I hope Parliament will not need [to approve] this measure,? he told the GPB.

He also said that Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze was in touch with ?some of the political party leaders? in an attempt to resume dialogue. He did not, however, specify with whom Burjanadze was trying to negotiate.

Earlier, the authorities said they would not negotiate with politicians they accuse of having links with the Russian intelligence services.

Speaking with Rustavi 2 TV, shortly before news programs were banned, Giga Bokeria, an influential lawmaker from the ruling party, said the authorities were willing to engage in dialogue with some parties, including the New Rights. He did not mention any other party.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party leader, Davit Usupashvili, said late on November 7 that he was willing to enter talks.

?It is extremely hard for me to negotiate with the authorities after all these recent developments; but being a politician is in itself a hard job and it is my duty to hold talks,? Usupashvili told Mze TV. ?But a precondition for dialogue should be the end of the ongoing illegality by the authorities.?

On November 8, Tina Khidasheli of the Republican Party told Civil.Ge on the phone that opposition leaders were planning to hold consultations. She did not, however, elaborate.

She confirmed that Koba Davitashvili, the leader of the opposition Party of People, remained in hospital in Gori after being beaten up.

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