Скачать или смотреть Latest from Shevardnadze, Saakashvili, rally

(23 Nov 2003)

1. Pan of opposition supporters outside parliament
2. Various of opposition supporters
3. Various of children on top of truck in crowd
4. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze drinking cup of tea
5. Reporter asking question
6. SOUNDBITE: (Georgian) Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgian President:
"Every suggestion can be open to discussion, including the speeding up of the presidential elections, or if you want, the parliamentary elections, but only after those buildings which are currently occupied are emptied and the potential for violence is removed."
7. Ministry of Interior with tank outside
8. Tank
9. Special forces soldier guarding the building
10. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov walks up stairs and through doors
11. Various of Ivanov meeting opposition leaders, including Nino Burdzhanadze, the speaker of the outgoing parliament who has proclaimed herself acting president and opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili
12. Poster of opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili
13. Two children standing on people's shoulders cheering
14. Mikhail Saakashvili speaking to crowd
15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian opposition leader:
"The main elite battalion, squadron, of Shevardnadze's elite troops that was given orders to storm the meeting, came here and changed sides, came to a new government and declared their disobedience to former president Shevardnadze. This is really an historic U-turn. Shevardnadze is over with that."
16. Saakashvili greeting and hugging the Special Forces who now support the opposition
17. Soldiers cheering
18. Saakashvili walking towards soldiers cheering him

STORYLINE:

Georgia's opposition called on its supporters on Sunday to press forward the "velvet revolution" by seizing state television and the police headquarters, while a growing number of security forces and other officials loyal to President Eduard Shevardnadze defected to the opposition.

A National Guard commander said that 120 of his soldiers had pledged allegiance to the opposition-appointed interim president. The independent Rustavi-2 television station broadcast footage of the troops, who are part of the Defence Ministry, joining the opposition rally in front of the parliament. It did not identify the commander.

Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister shuttled between the beleaguered Shevardnadze and his opponents, seeking a peaceful way out of the impasse for the ex-Soviet republic, which sits astride strategically vital oil routes. He told Georgian television that he hoped the two sides would sit down for face-to-face talks.

Shevardnadze said he was willing to meet with the opposition for talks but only once they abandon the parliament building.

Shevardnadze also sacked Tedo Dzhaparidze, his top security aide, who had publicly acknowledged fraud in the November 2 parliamentary elections and called for a new vote, the president's office said.

Speaking to more than 50 thousand boisterous supporters outside parliament Protest leader Mikhail Saakashvili urged his supporters to seize the Interior Ministry headquarters if Shevardnadze tries to convene a new parliament there.

Saakashvili also said Shevardnadze had sent some troops to break into the opposition-occupied parliament, but they refused his orders.

He said that showed Shevardnadze is finished.


Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov held several rounds of separate talks with opposition leaders and Shevardnadze.


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