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Over 50,000 rally in new bid to oust Georgian leader
[Bangla Daily Star] More than 50,000 opposition supporters rallied in Tbilisi yesterday in a bid to oust Georgia's leader that led authorities to cancel a major state holiday military parade for fear of clashes.The demonstrators first packed into the city's huge football stadium before thousands of them marched through the streets, in a mass protest against Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. On Tuesday evening they congregated outside Holy Trinity Cathedral, the city's main church, before marching on parliament. The rally marked the culmination of over a month of opposition protests in the ex-Soviet republic aimed at forcing Saakashvili's resignation. "We will fight for this country, Saakashvili cannot stay president," said Nino Burjanadze, the former parliamentary speaker who is now one of Saakashvili's most vehement opponents. "The only thing we have to discuss with the authorities is their resignation," she added in a speech at the stadium. The Georgian opposition has been staging daily protests since April 9 in the biggest demonstrations against Saakashvili's rule since Georgia fought a brief war with Russia last August. Opponents accuse Saakashvili of mishandling the conflict with Russia and of becoming increasingly autocratic since he came to power after the peaceful 2003 Rose Revolution. In the stadium on Tuesday, the crowd sang the national anthem and observed a minute of silence for those who died during the August war, in which Georgia lost a bid to re-exert control over its two separatist regions. "Saakashvili must leave because he ceded our territories to the Russians," said Natela Urashvili, a 49-year-old dentist who attended the protest. The Georgian defence ministry said its parade this year was cancelled after demonstrators planned to march down the capital's main avenue, traditionally the venue of a military parade to mark the national holiday. "Saakashvili must see today how many people are angry at his rule. We are many and we are unhappy with the situation in Georgia," said Artchil Oniani, a 67-year-old engineer who readied to march with the crowd. Posted by: Fred 2009-05-27 |
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