TBILISI, Georgia - More than 2,500 demonstrators marched through the Georgian capital on Sunday calling for President Mikhail Saakashvili’s resignation. Lawyers, journalists, teachers, doctors and others gathered in downtown Tbilisi to denounce what they called Saakashvili’s repressive rule, chanting “Saakashvili, go away!”
While Georgians rallied around their leader against Russia during last August’s war, many blame Saakashvili for authoritarian trends and accuse him of botching the war. “He lost our territories,” Nukri Kantaria, a teacher, said at the rally. “If he doesn’t leave, we will lose more territories.”
Most of SaakashviliÂ’s opponents share his pro-Western stance, but some say he has hurt the countryÂ’s interests by failing to forge normal relations with Russia.
| Hard to have 'normal' relations with a country that wants to gobble you up ... |
GeorgiaÂ’s opposition parties are preparing to launch a wave of street protests to force Saakashvili out if he doesnÂ’t step down voluntarily by April 9. Saakashvili has rejected opposition demands and said he would serve through the end of his term in 2013.
| Apparently the concept of accepting the results of an election is a rather .. flexible .. one in these parts of the world ... |
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