Embattled Georgian leader declares emergency

Fears were growing today that the political crisis in Georgia could lead to bloodshed after protesters stormed the parliament, demanding the resignation of the president.

The British government has appealed for calm following yesterday’s events which saw thousands of opposition supporters flood into the Tbilisi building minutes after Eduard Shevardnadze convened the newly-elected parliament.

The poverty-stricken ex-Soviet republic had slid into its biggest political crisis in years after the November 2 parliamentary elections, which the opposition and many foreign observers claimed were rigged.

As he was hustled out of parliament by bodyguards, Mr Shevardnadze pledged, “I will not resign. I can step down only within the framework of the constitution.”

But opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili declared: “The velvet revolution has taken place in Georgia. We are against violence.”

Mr Shevardnadze later declared a state of emergency after opposition supporters declared their own interim rule, but it was unclear whether the army and police would obey him.

He was holed up at one of his residences on the outskirts of the capital Tbilisi.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters maintained their vigil outside the parliament building yesterday after opposition leaders had appealed to them to defend their gains.

Both pro and anti-Shevardnadze forces had vowed to avoid bloodshed but also refused to budge from their increasingly intractable positions.

Mr Shevardnadze was still democratically-elected president while those who entered the parliament building see him as illegitimate because the elections two weeks ago were believed by many to be fraudulently won.

The United States had condemned the elections as fraudulent, and yesterday US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher urged Mr Shevardnadze and his opponents to talk.

“We call on all sides to refrain from the use of force or violence, and to enter into a dialogue with a view to restoring calm and reaching a compromise solution acceptable to all and in the interest of Georgia,” he said.

Russia dispatched Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to Tbilisi reportedly said: “For us it’s vitally important that all processes are in the framework of the constitution and legality.”

He also called for dialogue between the opposing sides, and was expected to meet leaders on both sides of the dispute.