Georgia's opposition hints at possible talks with gov't

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, November 23, 2003

Georgia's opposition hints at possible talks with gov't

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Georgian opposition leader Nino Burdzhanadze, who has claimed the interim presidency in the crisis-stricken country, said on Sunday it is possible that the opposition could negotiate with the government about holding new parliamentary elections.

"There is a possibility of having a reasonable dialogue with the government about holding early parliamentary elections. The situation is practically hopeless without (new elections)," Burdzhanadze said.

The speaker of the last parliament also said "the president would be making a mistake by convening the new parliament, which was not elected legitimately, for declaring a state of emergency in the country."

Burdzhanadze added that there will be another protest scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) in Tbilisi in front of the parliament building, saying that the upcoming rally will be even larger than Saturday's.

"This is necessary to show the people's absolute support," she said.

There are currently more than 10,000 people rallying in front of the parliament building and more than 50,000 protesters are expected to take part in the protest on Sunday, opposition headquarters said.

The three-week-long political unrest, triggered by the November 2 parliament elections, reached its peak Saturday when thousands of opposition supporters marched into the capital city and surrounded the parliament building.

Several hundred of protesters Saturday evening stormed the building and forced Shevardnadze, who was delivering a speech to the first session of the new parliament, to flee. The protesters demanded the president's resignation and the holding of a new election, saying the November 2 poll was rigged in favor of the president's bloc.

Denouncing the opposition's act as a coup, Shevardnadze has declared a state of emergency in the country for 30 days.

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