Labor Party Says not Likely to Join April Rallies

Labor Party official said on March 6, that the party would not participate in a protest rally planned for April 9 as it viewed the event, at least for now, as “Nino Burjanadze’s show.”

“We will not go to a rally whose goal is ‘Misha go, Burjanadze for presidency’,” MP Joseb Shatberashvili of the Labor Party, told Imedi TV on March 6.

A group of eight parties, including the one of former parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement–United Georgia, announced on February 26 that they were launching permanent protest rallies from April 9 to demand President Saakashvili’s resignation.

The Labor Party, whose four members, including its leader Shalva Natelashvili, are lawmakers, although boycotting parliamentary sessions, said it supported the demand but it “will not participate in Nino Burjanadze’s shows.” MP Shatberashvili, however, also said that if the protest rallies turn into a genuine people’s movement the party would join it.

The Labor Party said on March 4 that it would nominate its leader, Shalva Natelashvili, for presidency if early elections were held.

Last month Natelashvili said that Irakli Alasania, the leader of opposition Alliance for Georgia, was “packed like a gift in the United States” and sent to Georgia to take over presidency. He also said that Burjanadze was “a reserve option” picked up by the United States in case Alasania would fail.

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