Georgia: People Demand Resignation of Saakashvili

A joint rally of the opposition was held in the Georgian capital March 30. Thousands of people gathered in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Boulevard.

Before holding the rally, opposition leaders had indicated that their protest was directed against the directive envisioning mandatory use of sales registers and also against top officials of the Interior Ministry and Justice Ministry whom they wanted to be called to account for their subordinates' misdeeds. However, yesterday the opposition took to the streets solely under political slogans. The protesters demanded the resignation of the president, government and law-enforcement ministers and in general for a change of the regime.

"Saakashvili's choice is the road that was formerly taken by Shevardnadze, which is different from that of Yushchenko, who staged a democratic election, lost it and acknowledged his defeat", said leader of the Republican Party of Georgia David Berdzenishvili, MP.

"We have brought those people to power, and now we ourselves have to replace them. We demand the resignation of prime-minister Zurab Nogaideli, who has refused to meet his people's demands and postpone the decision on the sales registers", emphasized another deputy, "conservative" Zviad Dzidziguri.

People reacted with enthusiasm to these words. "I am sick and tired of it all. They promised a lot of things, but nothing has changed. Now we have come again to protest at Parliament", said a neatly dressed middle-aged lady. Asked what kind of promises she had in mind, she gave a simple, straightforward reply: "They promised to make life better".

Another protester joins in with a recollection of promises Saakashvili had made to increase pensions and wages, saying that Saakashvili only raised salaries to his flunkies. Unemployment was going up, he said, and added that the only thing left for the people was to go to protest rallies.

Asked why so few people have turned up at the rally, leader of the "Freedom" movement Konstantin Gamsakhurdia said that "the authorities have taken appropriate steps, people were intimidated ahead of the action, and also the recent pogrom at the prison house scared the people off, they are afraid the same may happen to them". In the course of the rally he resolutely called on the people to "liberate Georgia". "From now on, my demand is new fair democratic election, formation of democratic electoral commissions and unconditional change of power. The sooner we get on with it, the better", he said.

When leader of the Labor Party Shalva Natelashvili stepped out of his battered white "Volga" car to join the opposition rally, he was greeted by a hearty "Hurrah".

Observers say that many people have come to the rally not so much to take part in something massive and pompous as rather to manifest their real desire for changes. Thus an old woman said all her teeth had fallen out, but she could not afford to have a new set. Another protester, a middle-aged man, noted: "We are ready to stand here all the night through, and continue our protest tomorrow, but the authorities are threatening to clamp down on us".

Georgian media report that opposition rallies were held Thursday in a number of West Georgian cities, including Senaki, Kutaisi and Batumi (Adjaria). The protesters demanded that the directive on the use of sales registers at all sales points be revoked, and the cases of the assassination of Sandro Girgvliani, manager of the United Georgian Bank, and the rioting at Tbilisi Prison No. 5 be thoroughly investigated. Both in Tbilisi and in the regions the protests were directed against the low living standards of people in practically all walks of life.

During the rally in the capital the organizers of the action announced that the next large-scale protest action would be held on May 26 – the Georgian Independence Day.