Georgian parliament seeks unity

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-8  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

GEORGIA'S newly-elected parliament held its first session yesterday, without the main opposition coalition which boycotted the chamber in protest at what it says was a rigged election.

Addressing the session, President Mikheil Saakashvili said parliament's main task was to restore Georgia's unity ?? a reference to a spiralling row with neighboring Russia over two separatist regions.

Western governments are anxious to see political stability in Georgia, a volatile state which lies on a transit route for oil and gas exports and has been invited to join the NATO alliance.

The May 21 election handed victory to Saakashvili's supporters, securing his majority in parliament. Europe's main election monitoring body said the vote only partially lived up to Georgia's commitments on democracy.

The opposition coalition staged a protest near parliament yesterday but it did not carry out an earlier threat to block anyone from entering the building. There was a heavy police presence both inside and outside parliament.

"Anybody who enters this parliament will be a traitor," David Gamkrelidze, one of the opposition leaders told a crowd of several hundred Saakashvili opponents gathered in front of parliament.

Opposition leaders who won seats tore up their law makers' identification cards in front of the crowd.

Inside the building, legislators chose David Bakradze, a close Saakashvili ally, as their new speaker in a 116-0 vote.