The New York Times - 11.05.2003

 

 

The New York Times

Opposition Wants Georgian President Tried

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Opposition leaders demanded at a rally Wednesday that President Eduard Shevardnadze be put on trial if he doesn't fire officials who they accuse of rigging parliamentary elections last weekend.

The protest in the capital Tbilisi, attended by about 5,000 people, came as election officials reported returns from only 60 percent of polling stations from Sunday's vote. Some Georgian media have said organizational problems are to blame for the delay, but the opposition alleges that the results are being manipulated.

"I'd like to inform the president that he has nobody on his side ... People are here showing their support and who is over there? The president and 400 dogs!" Mikhail Saakashvili, the leader of the opposition National Movement bloc, told the rally.

Saakashvili said regional governors accused of falsifying results in their areas must be fired, and results from four regions be declared invalid.

If those demands are not met in 24 hours, Shevardnadze must be brought to court for "crimes against the Georgian people," he said.

The rally in the capital Tbilisi was about half the size of a protest the night before and dispersed peacefully after about 90 minutes. Saakashvili called another rally for Friday afternoon.

The U.S. Embassy said in a statement Wednesday that "mismanagement and fraud" from the election ``denied many Georgian citizens their constitutional right to vote.''

In a meeting with Shevardnadze, U.S. Ambassador Richard Miles said timely and accurate vote counting is essential to restoring public confidence, a U.S. State Department spokesman said.

The White House sent former Secretary of State James Baker to Tbilisi this summer to push for a transparent election, reflecting the strong U.S. interest in Georgia. The country is one of the most Western-leaning of the former Soviet republics.

The latest results showed the pro-government bloc For a New Georgia leading narrowly with about 25 percent of the vote, while Saakashvili's bloc was second with more than 23 percent.

Four other parties had more than the 7 percent threshold for getting into parliament, the Central Elections Commission said.