GEORGIA: MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI LAUNCHES PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN/ EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE RECEIVES LETTER FROM U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

Record ID: 347590

  • Title: GEORGIA: MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI LAUNCHES PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN/ EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE RECEIVES LETTER FROM U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
  • Date: 6th December 2003
  • Summary: (W8) TBILISI, GEORGIA (DECEMBER 4, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF TBILISI YOUTH PALACE BUILDING; SLV PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI SUPPORTERS IN HALL; LAS CHANDELIER 0.18 2. SV GEORGIA'S INTERIM PRESIDENT NINO BURDZHANADZE ENTERING HALL 0.21 3. SV PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI ENTERING HALL; SLV PEOPLE IN THE H
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TBILISI, GEORGIA
  • Country: Georgia
  • Reuters ID: LVAD3AUCPGF7RII5IXFHVHGCFI7T
  • Story Text: Saakashvili launches presidential campaign;
    Shevardnadze receives letter from President Bush.

    Georgia's presidential front-runner Mikhail
    Saakashvili, launched his election campaign on Thursday
    (December 4) with a warning to those "masterminding
    counter-revolution."
    "We will punish anyone who is planning to blow up
    Georgia," said Saakashvili in a hall, where Georgia's
    independence was declared on the same day in 1918.

    An explosion rocked the state television centre in
    Georgian capital Tbilisi on Wednesday (December 3) night,
    in what the new government said was an attempt to disrupt
    elections scheduled to replace the overthrown president.

    Georgia's acting President Nino Burdzhanadze and State
    Minister Zurab Zhvania were among the people lending their
    support to Saakashvili on Thursday.

    "We are convinced that we will win the presidential
    elections, we are convinced that after the presidential
    elections, which we will carry out with dignity, we will
    carry out democratic and free parliamentary elections,"
    said Nino Burdzhanadze addressing the crowd of their
    supporters.

    She made the comments following talks with U.S. Deputy
    Under-Secretary of State, Lynn Pascoe, who arrived in
    Georgia at the head of a U.S. delegation on Tuesday
    (December 2).

    Washington has pledged to assist Gerogia's interim
    leaders in run-up to presidential elections on January 4.

    On Thursday Pascoe met former President Eduard
    Shevardnadze, who resigned on November 23 after mass street
    protests, sparked by allegations of ballot rigging during
    parliamentary elections in early November.

    Pascoe delivered a letter form U.S. President George
    W. Bush to Shevardnadze.

    Earlier Pascoe held talks with representatives of
    various parties, including the presidential favourite
    Mikhail Saakashvili.

    At a summing up press-conference he said the U.S.

    government had agreed to give immediate financial
    assistance to the Georgia's interim leaders.

    "We have developed a way to get $5 million U.S. dollars
    sort of immediately in the government payrolls. We have
    also put an extra $2 million U.S. dollars into the winter
    heat program," said Pascoe.

    On Friday (December 5) another high-level U.S.

    delegation arrives in Georgia, headed by U.S. Defense
    Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.


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