U.S. Official Urges for Speedy Resolution of Election Controversy

When asked whether the U.S. supports President Shevardnadze, while the protesters demand President’s resignation, the U.S. Department of State deputy spokesman said at briefing on November 14, “we are not backing one candidate or another in this process. We are backing the rule of law. We are backing dialogue. We are backing transparency.”

”Don’t read my comments to be backing away for or against anybody. This is something that the Georgian people are going to have to work out,” Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman of the U.S. Department of State said.

“We hope that they do it peacefully through dialogue, in a way that respects the rule of law and meets the needs of the people and institutions of Georgia,” he added.

The U.S. official said that there were problems with vote counting. “We believe that it is important for all sides to respect the role of peaceful assembly in the political process and to take all steps to prevent violence,” Adam Ereli said. 

“We are urging the speedy resolution of the election situation, and the announcement of a final vote count,” he added.