Russian FM criticizes undemocratic regime change in Georgia

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Russian FM criticizes undemocratic regime change in Georgia

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said on Tuesday that the regime change in Georgia was not entirely democratic as it took place under heavy pressure from weeks of mass rallies.

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Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said on Tuesday that the regime change in Georgia was not entirely democratic as it took place under heavy pressure from weeks of mass rallies.

"Eduard Shevardnadze made his decision to step down under very heavy pressures exerted by the people's street protests, so it cannot be said that this decision was fully democratic," the minister was quoted by the local Kommersant Newspaper in an article published Tuesday.

"Although constitutional formalities were observed, we are not fully satisfied with the way the change of power occurred," said Ivanov, who rushed to Tbilisi, capital city of Georgia, Sunday formediation between the then President Shevardnadze and the leaders spearheading continuous chaos against the alleged rigged parliament elections on Nov. 2 and the rule of the former president.

He noted that the goal of his weekend mission to Georgia was totry to preserve the development of the situation within constitutional framework and to convince leaders of Georgia's major political forces to prevent the situation from getting out of control and escalating into violence.

"I can confidently say today that Russia has accomplished its mission in Georgia at this stage," Ivanov said.

Contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Shevardnadze were much more active prior to the take-over of powerin the small former Soviet republic, according to Ivanov.

Moscow's further steps toward Georgia depend on the outcome of the upcoming elections and what kind of policy the country's new leadership would pursue, Ivanov added.

Shevardnadze stepped down Sunday amid strong protests against his reign and the disputed Nov. 2 parliamentary poll, expecting nobetter way out for the crisis-ridden Caucasus nation.

The Georgian crisis culminated Saturday evening as the opposition supporters stormed and controlled the parliament building amid the accusation that the Nov. 2 parliamentary election was rigged in favor of the pro-Shevardnadze supporters.

The violence interrupted Shevardnadze's speech at the first session of the new parliament and forced him to flee the building.

The Georgian Supreme Court had announced the cancellation of the results of the Nov. 2 parliament elections on the ground of fraud.

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