Burjanadze Calls on Oppostion to Talk

It is time to move the political processes “from the street to the negotiating table,” Nino Burjanadze, the acting president, said.

A major opposition rally was held on January 13 and more are expected.

“It is very important to continue consultations and make our country look like a country, where decisions are made not in the streets but at the negotiating table. I am ready to continue these consultations, which are still underway,” Burjanadze told reporters on January 14.

Speaking about the January 13 protest rally by the opposition parties, Burjanadze said: “People have really come to the rally and one cannot turn a blind eye to it. But the numbers claimed by the opposition [at least 100,000] were not even close to the reality. I have said many times that we respect the opinions of our citizens, but decisions in this country cannot be made based on the number of rallies or number of protesters.”