Opposition to Protest Outside U.S. Embassy
Opposition leaders announced on Sunday that they would stage a protest rally outside the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi at 2pm local time on March 19 to coincide with President Saakashvili’s meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington.
Speaking at a protest rally outside Parliament on March 16, Levan Gachechiladze, the leader of the eight-party opposition coalition, said, as quoted by the daily 24 Saati (24 Hours): “Misha [Mikheil Saakashvili] is not the president of Georgia. The will of the Georgian people is here [at the rally] If Bush wants to speak with the Georgian people, let him come here and speak with us.”
Several thousand people rallied outside Parliament on March 16. Calls for the resignation of Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, first made by the New Rights Party, dominated the rally.
About 60 opposition activists are continuing a hunger strike outside Parliament. March 17 marks the ninth day in a hunger strike for five politicians from the eight-party opposition coalition – three of whom are MPs. Others camped outside Parliament have been refusing food for eight and some for seven days. Six lawmakers from the New Rights Party camped just outside Burjanadze’s office inside Parliament are on their eight day (MP Irakli Iashvili joined them on March 13).
