U.S. Calls for Quick Solution of Crisis
Government-led Rally Continues, as Saakashvili Prepares for March on Tbilisi
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| Lynn Pascoe: U.S. is not taking positions on internal political disputes in Georgia |
Lynn Pascoe, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, visited Georgia on November 18-19 and met with President Shevardnadze, the opposition leaders, as well as the leaders of the Labor, Industrialists and New Rights parties.
The current political crisis in Georgia, caused by the disputed November 2 parliamentary elections, was in the top of the agenda during the talks.
Deputy spokesman of the U.S. Department of State Adam Ereli said at a news briefing in Washington on November 18 that the purpose of Lynn Pascoe’s travel to Georgia was “to raise these issues [political crisis] at a senior level, by a senior official.”
“Let me make clear about one thing. The U.S. is not obviously taking positions on internal political disputes in Georgia. We along with other western countries have been working for last year to be helpful in these elections for Georgians themselves,” Lynn Pascoe said at a news briefing on November 18.
“This issue should be resolved quickly and to the maximum extent to the satisfaction of everyone involved. Politics is the art of the possible and the art of compromise and it is important for Georgia to step up and do that,” he told reporters.
He said that for the United States it is very important that the issues that have been raised in elections be resolved. “But it is not our job telling people how to do it,” the U.S. diplomat added.
Lynn Pascoe called the political parties and the authorities to resolve the current standoff peacefully. “Violence is a very bad thing in elections and in politics,” he said.
At the same time the deputy spokesman of the U.S. Department of State, who in his early statements called the Georgian Central Election Commission to ensure timely and accurate vote count, said on November 18, “we continue to press the Georgian Government to resolve this election in a responsible and credible way.”
While the United States calls the parties in Georgia to defuse tensions, confrontation increases between the opposition and the authorities, as pro-Shevardnadze rally continues outside the Parliament building. Meanwhile the opposition prepares for a peaceful march on Tbilisi, particularly on the President’s office.
Around couple of thousand supporters of the Revival Union, led by Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze rally in Tbilisi since November 18 to support President Shevardnadze and protest, as Tsotne Bakuria of Revival Union says, “against the fascism and extremism, which threatens Georgia.”
Revival vows to keep rallying” till the threat of fascism and extremism is not prevented.” “We also will stay here [outside the Parliament] before the new Parliament is not convened,” Jemal Gogitidze, one of the leaders of the Revival Union said.
President Shevardnadze said that he will convene the new Parliament as soon as the Central Election Commission announces final results of the November 2 elections. With more than 95% of votes counted the Shevardnadze’s election bloc For New Georgia leads the polls, followed by the Revival Union. Saakashvili’s National Movement, which accuses authorities of rigging the vote results and refuses to take seats in the new Parliament, is only on the third place.
November 20 is a deadline of announcement of the final results of the elections. It is anticipated that the remaining uncounted votes will not change the results radically. The remaining votes would be decisive for the Industrialists and the New Rights parties, which are close to clear 7% barrier, necessary to secure seats in the Parliament.
Key opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili seems to be waiting for announcement of the election commission’s final results to start peaceful marches from various Georgian provinces to Tbilisi. Mikheil Saakashvili visits western Georgian town of Zugdidi to call his supporters for peaceful march on the capital cit to force President Shevardnadze to step down. It is anticipated that the opposition’s rally will be held in Tbilisi on November 20.
Mikhail Saakashvili says “only a peaceful end to Mr. Shevardnadze’s rule can save Georgia from disaster.”
Anti-governmental protests were held in several provincial towns on November 18-19. Demonstrators numbering between 300 and 500 gathered in the cities of Rustavi, Akhaltsikhe, Poti, Telavi, Zestaponi, Zugdidi, Abasha, Chkhorutsku and Samtredia to demand Shevardnadze’s resignation.