GEORGIA: OVER TWENTY THOUSAND OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS GATHER TO PROTEST POLL RESULTS

Record ID: 643521

  • Title: GEORGIA: OVER TWENTY THOUSAND OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS GATHER TO PROTEST POLL RESULTS
  • Date: 9th November 2003
  • Summary: (W5) TBILISI, GEORGIA (NOVEMBER 8, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS MARCHING THROUGH TBILISI CENTRAL STREET WAVING FLAGS AND CHANTING "NO TO FALSIFICATION" AND "WE WANT FAIR ELECTIONS"; MV WOMEN CHANTING "NO"; WIDE OF OPPOSITION MARCH (3 SHOTS) 0.19 2. MV OPPOSITION LEADERS NINO BURDZHANADZE AND ZURAB ZHVANIA MARCHING AT THE HEAD OF THE OPPOSITION COLUMN 0.28 3. MV YOUNG MEN CARRYING FLAGS READING "ENOUGH"; SLV POLICE OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT BUILDING; SLV OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS MARCHING PAST PARLIAMENT BUILDING; MV MAN HOLDING GEORGIAN FLAG; HAS OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS GATHERING ON THE CENTRAL SQUARE (5 SHOTS) 1.00 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Georgian) GEORGIAN OPPOSITION LEADER NINO BURDZHANADZE ADDRESSING THE CROWD SAYING "Georgian people will never accept that they are deprived of the right to choose, Georgian people will never accept the fact that the democracy in their country had died, they will never agree to have the appointed members of the parliament instead of the elected ones." 1.33 5. SV PEOPLE APPLAUDING AND WAVING FLAGS 1.36 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Georgian) OPPOSITION LEADER MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI, ADDRESSING THE CROWD "We need new blood to come into politics in Georgia to replace the scumbags and corrupt deputies ministers, and members of various parties who don't care about the people." 1.54 7. SLV OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS UNFOLDING HUGE FLAG OF SAAKASHVILI NATIONAL MOVEMENT, WHICH IS ALSO OLD GEORGIAN FLAG; MV GIRLS TRYING TO GIVE FLOWERS TO POLICEMEN GUARDING THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING; OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS WALKING TOWARDS PARLIAMENT BUILDING (5 SHOTS) 2.49 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th November 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TBILISI, GEORGIA
  • Country: Georgia
  • Reuters ID: LVACHS4CMV2SI63WN1R0QSLWO8M5
  • Story Text: Over twenty thousand opposition supporters gathered
    in Tbilisi to protest the poll results.

    Thousands of opposition supporters, chanting "No to
    falsification" and "We want fair elections" marched through
    the central Tbilisi to protest the result of November 2
    poll, which put the pro-government party in the lead.

    The opposition accuses the government of falsifying the
    election results and stealing their victory.

    Over twenty thousand supporters of various opposition
    groups have gathered on the central Freedom Square. People
    clapped their hands to show that they are not armed and
    that it is a peaceful rally.

    Opposition leaders Nino Burdzhanadze and Mikhail
    Saakashvili addressed the crowd, calling for Shevardnadze
    government to step down and let new and not-corrupt people
    to come to power.

    Demonstrators unfolded huge flag of Saakashvili
    National movement, which is also an old Georgian flag and
    marched to the Parliament building, sealed off by the
    police.

    Security in Tbilisi was tight as thousands of
    opposition supporters were chanting anti-government slogans
    at a central square, just few blocks away from the
    Parliament and government complex.

    Riot police blocked off streets leading to the
    presidential building as well as major roads connecting
    the capital with other cities.

    Georgia's election commission still has not released
    the final results of the poll, which were due to be
    announced on Thursday, despite calls to speed the vote
    count and charges of fraud from the opposition and the
    United States.

    Observers reported numerous violations during the poll.

    With some 90 percent of votes counted, For a New Georgia!
    bloc backing Shevardnadze remained in second place, just
    behind the opposition Revival Union party.

    In third place was an opposition bloc led by former
    Justice Minister Mikhail Saakashvili, whose supporters were
    attacked by the gunmen in Zugdidi.

    Another opposition group, Burdzhanadze-Democrats, which
    is currently on the fifth place said on Friday it would not
    join the parliament in protest against the count.

    In an apparent attempt to calm passions, Shevardnadze
    went on national television on Friday to invite opposition
    leaders to discuss their complaints but vowed to clamp down
    on any disturbances.


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