Posted on 11/22/2003 7:56:59 PM PST by xzins
Opposition Takes Over Parliament Amid Street Protests; Shevardnadze Calls State of Emergency By Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili Associated Press Writer Published: Nov 22, 2003
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - The opposition seized Georgia's parliament Saturday, chasing out President Eduard Shevardnadze and declaring an interim government as tens of thousands of supporters thronged the streets of the capital. Shevardnadze, backed by his head of police, declared a state of emergency. Protesters said they were determined to topple the president, who has long claimed that his leadership is key to maintaining stability in the Caucasus region, located on vital oil routes.
Georgia's mountains have also provided shelter for insurgents fighting in neighboring Chechnya, and the United States has helped train Georgian military forces to try to uproot them.
Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan made a joint telephone call to Shevardnadze and urged restraint as he tries to maintain control, a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.
Facing a possible confrontation with the army, the opposition appealed to its supporters in the streets to defend the parliament building.
Opposition leader Nino Burdzhanadze, the speaker of the outgoing parliament, proclaimed herself acting president until early elections that the opposition called to take place in 45 days. She warned Shevardnadze's government to avoid bloodshed.
"The fate of our country is being decided now," said protest leader Mikhail Saakashvili. "We give guarantees to Shevardnadze that he will not be harmed, but let him know that if there is at least one shot fired at people, he will face justice."
The parliament takeover was an exuberant moment for protesters who for days have been demanding the president's removal over parliamentary elections that the United States and other foreign observers considered fraudulent.
Just as Shevardnadze began speaking in parliament, Saakashvili and hundreds of supporters swarmed through the chamber doors, pushing and shoving lawmakers.
The protesters knocked over tables and chairs. One leaped up on the speaker's podium, waving a red rose, while another banged the gavel. Later, protesters took over Shevardnadze's office and burned his chair.
Pro-government lawmakers were thrown out of parliament - and Shevardnadze was hustled out of the chamber by bodyguards, at least one of them brandishing an assault rifle.
"I will not resign," he vowed outside the building as he boarded a vehicle and was driven off, escorted by troops in riot gear.
He later went on national television surrounded by uniformed officers of the internal security forces and declared a 30-day state of emergency.
"Order will be restored and the criminals will be punished," he vowed.
While the interior minister - who is in charge of police - vowed loyalty, there were signs of dissent elsewhere in the security services.
Georgia's top security official, Tedo Dzhaparidze, acknowledged Friday that the election had been fraudulent and said he favored a new vote.
On Saturday night, independent Rustavi-2 television broadcast a statement from a military commander who said he would not obey if ordered to move against protesters.
"I represent the border guards department, I command a motorized brigade, I am a colonel. The border is not located on Rustaveli Avenue (the site of opposition protests) and for that reason we will not raise arms against the Georgian people," said the officer, who was identified as Col. Kote Danelia.
The Interfax news agency quoted Saakashvili as saying that a police unit from the city of Zugdidi had refused orders and would protect the opposition protesters. The report could not be confirmed independently.
Some armored personnel carriers were shown on Georgian television taking up positions in front of Shevardnadze's residence, but authorities emphasized that they were not going to be used against demonstrators.
This ex-Soviet republic slid into its biggest political crisis in years after the disputed Nov. 2 parliamentary elections.
The roots of the turmoil lie in the deep economic misery of most of the population and the rampant corruption that has characterized Shevardnadze's 10-year reign. Respected outside of Georgia for his role in helping to end the Cold War as foreign minister under Mikhail Gorbachev, the 75-year-old Shevardnadze is considered a disappointing relic at home.
The United States, which Shevardnadze has tried to court for closer ties, took a neutral stance, urging all sides to "refrain from the use of force or violence."
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington calls for a "dialogue with a view to restoring calm and reaching a compromise solution acceptable to all."
Russia, which remains a key power in the region, dispatched Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to Tbilisi, the Kremlin said.
Shevardnadze's office called the opposition's actions an "armed state coup."
"I can step down only within the framework of the constitution," Shevardnadze said.
Saturday had been seen as a decisive day, because Shevardnadze had said that he would open the parliament no matter what and the opposition vowed to prevent it.
Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Tbilisi all morning, waving flags and chanting "Leave" and "Enough." Protesters kicked effigies of the president.
After protesters took over the parliament chamber, Saakashvili exulted, "The 'Velvet Revolution' has taken place in Georgia" - a reference to the practically bloodless 1989 uprising that ousted the Communists from Czechoslovakia.
Shevardnadze says only he can maintain stability in the turbulent nation, which has been riven by a civil war and the secession of two provinces since the 1991 Soviet collapse.
With protests building over the past two weeks, Shevardnadze's grip on the government seemed to be loosening. Before the parliament session, he acknowledged there had been some breaches in the election.
"About 8 percent to 10 percent of the ballots were invalid," he said, but added that this should be dealt with in the courts.
The pro-Shevardnadze For a New Georgia bloc finished first in the election with 21 percent of the vote, while the Revival party, which also sided with Shevardnadze in the present crisis, finished second with nearly 19 percent.
Saakashvili's National Movement came in a close third with 18 percent of the vote, while the Democrats who allied with Saakashvili got 8.8 percent.
AP-ES-11-22-03 2222EST
General Shalikashvili's father was a "Georgian army officer". but fighting on the side of the Nazis. In a branch of the Waffen SS. One can't blame a Georgian of that era too much for that, at first at least. The Nazies looked good compared to Stalin. The General's grandfather had been a Czarist officer, so you might imagine that his family might not have fared well under the Bolishevik regime. I imagine all he cared about was killing Russians. (Even though Stalin was a Geogian as well. (real name Dzhugashavili).
According to the Federation of American Scientists site and Global Security you can breath a little easier, for Georgia is not shown to have nukes on either site. However the Georgias have a long reputation similar to the Silicilians and the Afghans, as a "you want it, we'll get it" for a price of course, people.
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