Parliament Steps Forward to Secure Stability
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| Georgia to elect new President, after ‘Rose Revolution.’ |
The Parliament unanimously decided today to hold the presidential elections on January 4, 2004. A move is seen as a key step for ensuring stability in the country, after Eduard Shevardnadze was forced to resign as a result of bloodless revolution.
The Parliament, elected in 1999 elections, was convened today to discuss the issue of holding new presidential elections. 158 MPs attended the session. The Revival Union, led by Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze and the Socialist Party refused to appear at the session.
The new parliamentary elections will be also held, as the Supreme Court canceled November 2 parliamentary elections results, because of numerous irregularities during the vote count.
According to the constitution the President fixes the date of parliamentary elections. Thus Nino Burjanadze an interim President after Shevardnadze’s resignation is to schedule the the new parliamentary elections.
It is anticipated that the parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously with the presidential elections.
“I will do my best to secure free and fair elections,” Nino Burjanadze, acting President of Georgia said, while addressing the Parliamentary session.
“Today’s session is of crucial importance. I urge you to cooperate in order not to disappoint people. I urge you to lead the country to the new parliamentary and presidential elections,” Nino Burjanadze said.
“I want to thank Georgian people. Society chose democracy and this is irreversible process,” she said.
Burjanadze also called for calm and order. “Civil disobedience is over. I call on everyone who tries to act illegally to act in accordance with the law. We should do our best to maintain order,” Burjanadze said.
Leader of the National Movement Mikheil Saakashvili, who was a key person during the bloodless revolution, called on the MPs of the old Parliament to attend the session saying that “not coming to the session would mean helping civil confrontation.”
“We together need to find a common language and reach a consensus. Those, who do not come to the session, should assume the responsibility for creation of constitutional crisis in the country,” Mikheil Saakashvili said at a news briefing on November 25.
The Revival Union led by Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze, who is a long-time political foe of the political group which led Shevardnadze’s ouster boycotted the session. The Socialist Party, led by Vakhtang Rcheulishvili also refused to participate .
The United States has already expressed readiness to assist Georgia in holding free and fair elections.
However the issues of management of the new elections remain unclear, as the current Central Elections Commission, majority of whose members were Shevardnadze’s supporters, is absolutely discredited after fraudulent November 2 parliamentary elections.
“We hold active consultations with all the political groups over the new elections. We should introduce amendments in the current election legislature in order to secure free and fair elections,” Gigi Tsereteli, who was elected today as an acting Parliamentary Chairman said.
Mikheil Saakashvili said on November 25 that he will discuss the issue of presidential candidacy with Nino Burjanadze and Zurab Zhvania, two other opposition leaders, who led the street protesters against Eduard Shevardnadze. However many Georgians think Saakashvili is a man who might be the next President.
The only political figure who has announced that will run for presidency is former governor of western Georgian region of Imereti Temur Shashiashvili, who condemned Shevardnadze’s ouster by the opposition. He resigned immediately after Shevardnadze stepped down.