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Opposition boycotts parliament opening

Opposition lawmakers refused to take their seats in Georgia's parliament on Saturday, claiming it is illegitimate following elections they claim were rigged.

  • AP
  • Published: 00:05 June 8, 2008
  • Gulf News

Tbilisi :Opposition lawmakers refused to take their seats in Georgia's parliament on Saturday, claiming it is illegitimate following elections they claim were rigged.

United Opposition chief Levan Gochechiladaze cut up the certificate granting him a seat in the legislature at a small rally in front of the parliament building. But his hopes of mustering thousands of supporters on the first day of the parliament were thwarted when President Mikhail Saakashvili brought the date forward at the last moment.

Authorities announced late Friday that the opening session would be held yesterday instead of Tuesday, leaving Saakashvili's opponents with little time to get organised.

Opposition leaders have permission to hold demonstrations outside parliament for an 11-day period beginning today, but authorities could have intervened yesterday had the crowd become too large. A few busloads of riot police stood several hundred metres away, and the protesters dispersed at midday.

'Bandits'

The scheduling change and the presence of police "shows that this is not a popularly elected parliament", United Opposition co-leader David Gamkrelidze said, speaking on the steps of the colonnaded legislature as the session went on inside. "A group of bandits has seized power," said another opposition leader, Koba Davitashvili.

Last month's parliamentary elections strengthened the pro-Western Saakashvili's grip on power in the former Soviet republic of 4.6 million. Official results gave his ruling National Movement 119 of the 150 seats in the single-chamber legislature.

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