09 March 2009, 19:00
About 50,000 residents of Georgia are ready to demand Saakashvili's resignation
The oppositional parties of Georgia have gathered some 50,000 signatures of Tbilisi residents, who are ready to take part in the rally on April 9 in the centre of the capital with a resignation demand of President Mikhail Saakashvili. The signing-in campaign will continue, as Eka Beseliya, one of the leaders of the United Opposition of Georgia, said today at a briefing.
We remind you that in Tbilisi signing-in was organized near seven subway stations. Prior to start of the campaign, Zurab Nogaideli, ex-colleague of the Georgian leader, had accused his former boss of stealing the funds intended for the Georgian Army. Within March 3-8, the oppositional parties gathered 48,347 signatures, as reported by the Party named "Georgia's Road" (led by Salome Zurabishvili).
According to Eka Beseliya, the public has huge support of Saakashvili's resignation. "Therefore, we'll continue the action of gathering signatures among the population," said Ms Beseliya. According to her story, after March 11 the signing-in campaign among those opposition supporters, who are ready to take part in the rally on April 9 in Tbilisi, will go on in the regions, as the "Echo Moskvy" Radio reports.
Oppositionists state that the action has no legal force. Its aim is to exert psychological pressure on the authorities. Since tomorrow, the campaign will continue in 16 cities of Georgia.
Meanwhile, ex-president of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze thinks that should the opposition start its mass protest actions after April 9, Mikhail Saakashvili will not leave his post and surely make use of the resources at his disposal.
In Mr Shevardnadze's opinion, the Georgian opposition is scattered, makes many mistakes, is unable to unite and reach accord on basic issues. The main thing is that the opposition has no precise plan of action for the future and would not tell people about their actions if they hit the target - Saakashvili's resignation, Eduard Shevardnadze said today on air of "Channel One" of Public TV of Georgia.
