23 April 2003, 23:20
Speaker of Georgian Parliament believes that country is turning to dictatorship
The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burdjanadze announced yesterday that ?the superior executive power and the election bloc ?New Georgia? ignore democratic values, and the country is turning to dictatorship establishment?.
?The draft of a new electoral code developed by this bloc to hold parliamentary elections in autumn is an evidence of this turning?, she said at the briefing in Tbilisi, noted that in compliance with this draft 9 of 11 members of the Central Election Commission would be actually appointed by the presidential bloc.
According to speaker?s words, the leaders of ?New Georgia? put pressure upon ?those businessmen who do not support this bloc?. Nino Burdjanadze called for the president to ?take measures to prevent the process of dictatorship establishment in the country?.
She also stated that ?the attempts of some politicians and fractions to dismiss her from the post of the speaker were doomed to failure, since these proposals would not get a majority in the parliament?. The speaker called for opposition fractions and parties to unite to admit of no dictatorship?.
The bloc ?New Georgia?, led by Eduard Shevarnadze, was founded two weeks ago.
Source: Armenpress News Agency (Armenia)
