Georgian parliament fails again to set date for new election

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, November 29, 2003

Georgian parliament fails again to set date for new election

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An extraordinary session of Georgia's interim parliament has for the second time failed to decide on the date of new parliamentary elections since the Nov. 2 poll was invalidated recently on the grounds of fraud, Russian media reported Friday.

The councilors did not reach a consensus Thursday on the date for the anticipated election that will produce a new parliament for the small ex-Soviet republic, which survived weeks of mass protests against the fraudulent election and the rule of the then President Eduard Shevardnadze.

The Friday meeting succeeded in extending the registration period of presidential candidates for five days till Dec. 1.

The pre-term presidential election in Georgia was set for Jan. 4 by the interim parliament three days earlier, which left only one day for the submission of documents to the Central Electoral Commission under the Georgian constitution.

The parliamentarians decided Friday to suspend the commission'sduty of summing up ballot results, which shall be announced with due consideration of court rulings.

Chairwoman of the commission Nana Devdariani, together with another five members of the organ, resigned on Friday. Acting president Nino Burdzhanadze said later that she preferred appointing lawyer David Usupashvili to fill the vacancy.

Georgian Foreign Minister Irakly Menagarishvili also abdicated his post Friday amid a resignation wave by several ministers of deposed Shevardnadze's regime. A couple of candidates are expected to take over the post.

Georgia has witnessed complex situations since Shevardnadze stepped down Sunday amid mounting demands. Apart from the urgent judicial procedures for both parliament and presidential elections,variant political forces have not ceased their activities during the volatile interim period before a new leadership is formed.

A leader of Shevardnadze's bloc For A New Georgia that won a leading position in the annulled Nov. 2 election is calling politicians and public forces to form the opposition to Burdzhanadze, Mikhail Saakashvili, and Zurab Zhvania, the troika that instigated the ouster of Shevardnadze.

Saakashvili, also the presidential candidate, warned Friday that "certain people are preparing a counterrevolution in Georgia."

He pointed out that Igor Georgadze, who has been recognized as an international terrorist and announced his intention to run in the presidential campaign, may return to Georgia to establish somearmed forces.

A top security official has said that the criminal situation inthe Caucasus nation "has somewhat worsened over the past several days, but it is under control."

Burdzhanadze pledged earlier Friday that "everything would be done to ensure that elections are held normally."

The female interim leader has vowed that maintaining stability in Georgia was one of the priorities for the moment pending the born of a new authority.

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