Georgia to hold early elections

Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili appealed the people on the TV. It was his first television speech after the yesterday’s disperse of the meeting and imposing a state of emergency in the country. The president said the presidential elections, which were scheduled for autumn 2008, would be brought forward to 5 January 2008.

Saakashvili’s appeal on TV was preceded by his meeting with the representatives of the parliamentary majority. In the building of the State Office the president discussed the last events with the members of the governing party “United National Movement” (ENM). The subject of the talks wasn’t said.

Before the meeting a number of deputies declared journalists that the “authorities speak for the dialog with a part of the opposition”. According to them the leaders of two parties – “New Right” and “Industry will save Georgia” (they have fractions in the parliament), that hadn’t joined the National Council of the oppositional parties and refused to take part in the street actions, have volunteered for the dialog with the authorities.