10 March 2008, 11:05
In Georgia, Okruashvili's supporter Giorgi Tsagareishvili goes on hunger strike
Today, Giorgi Tsagareishvili, one of the leaders of the opposition and representative of the Movement for United Georgia, where Irakliy Okruashvili, ex-Minister of Defence of Georgia, is the leader, has joined the hunger strike held in front of the Parliament of Georgia.
It is necessary to note that today the number of people who came to the rally is much smaller than yesterday. Now, there are about 15 persons holding a protest hunger strike at the building of the Parliament. The action was sanctioned by the Mayoralty of Tbilisi, and, according to the permit of the city authorities, it can continue before the Parliament till March 19.
Georgian political scientist Ramaz Sakvarelidze was not able to predict the development of events with the hunger strike at the building of Georgian Parliament.
"The continuation of the hunger-strike depends on a number of factors and reaction of the authorities," Mr Sakvarelidze said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
The "Caucasian Knot" has already informed that the opposition of Georgia, discordant with the outcomes of the presidential election in the country, launched a new wave of protests. Dzhondi Bagaturiya, one of the leaders of the opposition, has said on air of the "Echo Moskvy" Radio that this time the actions of the oppositionists will continue until Saakashvili's regime is overthrown. He has added that the second by its importance requirement of the opposition is release of the political prisoners arrested during the latest opposition actions.
On March 9, the united opposition of Georgia put forward a new demand to the Government of Georgia - to quit the CIS. The oppositionists have also condemned the Russia's decision to lift the economic sanctions against Abkhazia.
Author: Alena Aleschenko, CK correspondent
