Opposition Pickets President’s Office

Opposition leaders called on supporters at a protest rally outside Parliament to picket the state chancellery.

The call, made by Giorgi Khaindrava, an individual member of the eight-party opposition coalition, came shortly after a meeting between five pro-opposition members of the Georgian intelligentsia and Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze. Film directors Giga Lortkipanidze and Keti Dolidze, as well as actors Otar Megvinetukhutsesi, Gogi Kavtaradze and Nineli Chankvetadze, met Burjanadze to mediate between the sides.

After the meeting Dolidze said Burjanadze had failed to give “any concrete response.” “She told us that she was not able to unilaterally decide and needed additional consultations, so she went to the state chancellery to meet President Saakashvili,” Dolidze said. 

“We should give her some time, because it seems she is not in the position to decide on her own,” Megvinetukhutsesi told protesters afterwards.

“We have received no concrete answers from her; she asked for one more day,” Kavtaradze said. When he asked protesters to “give one more day [to Burjanadze] for a response” he was booed by the crowd with many shouting “No, no.”

The opposition has had one demand since March 20 – electing 75 majoritarian MPs in multi-mandate constituencies, instead of single-mandate constituencies.

This evening’s rally outside Parliament was held under the banner of ‘protecting Imedi TV’ against alleged official attempts to seize the television station.

Both the government and the president operate out of the state chancellery, which is but a few hundred meters from Parliament.

The opposition is continuing to maintain a presense outside both buildings.

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