Georgia's elections commission members resign amid political crisis

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

Georgia's elections commission members resign amid political crisis

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All the members of Georgia 's Central Elections Commission (CEC) announced their resignations on Friday amid political turbulence, according to reports reaching here from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Nana Devdariani, chairwoman of the CEC, and the other five members were all appointed in September by Eduard Shevardnadze, who was forced to resign early this week after three weeks of protests led by the opposition.

Acting President Nino Burdzhanadze, who assumed the presidency after Shevardnadze resigned, will have to appoint new members of the commission.

Burdzhanadze said that she preferred appointing lawyer David Usupashvili to be the new chief of the commission.

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

The 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 CEC's duty of summing up ballot results, which shall be announced with due consideration of court rulings.

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 expectedto take over the post.

Burdzahandze expressed regret Friday over the resignation of Menagarishvili. "I am sorry that Menagarishvili has taken this step. He was an experienced worker," Burdzhande said.

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.

Georgadze, who was accused of organizing a coup against Shevardnadze in 1995, had fled the country.

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

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