Georgian President agrees on direct talks with opposition

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-11-2009 10:53

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Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, has invited opposition leaders to participate in direct talks aimed at ending a month-long stand-off.

Saakashvili is due to meet four opposition leaders on Monday afternoon.

Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili speaks during a briefing in Tbilisi, April 10, 2009. REUTERS/Irakly Gedenidze/Pool/Files

The decision comes a day after an opposition rally of 20-thousand protesters. They are pushing for the President's resignation over his record on democracy, and last year's war with Russia.

Irakli Alasania, Georgian Opposition Leader, said, "I believe that the country is in such crises that the only logical way out is to have the fair and free election of the president and we demanded the resignation and we are still demanding the early presidential elections."

The authorities met with the opposition on Friday for the first time since the start of the month-long protests.

The opposition pressed for face-to-face talks with President Saakashvili, but negotiations ended without an agreement on a direct meeting.

The opposition believes the situation is getting worse because the president is ignoring the political crisis. They have accused the president of betraying the Rose Revolution's ideals and of trying to silence critics through control of the media.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei