Georgian opposition threatens to pester central highways

The Georgian opposition, which is now holding termless mass protests with a demand of President Mikhail Saakashvili's resignation, is expressing the intention to picket, in the round-the-clock mode, central highways of Georgia.

As declared in the statement of the organizational staff, which was read aloud by Gubaz Sanikidze, one of the leaders of the Party "National Forum", should the demand of the opposition remain ignored till May 11, the country's highways will be blocked.

"Since the authorities of Georgia ignore the demands of the Georgian society, we've made a decision to expand the protest movement over the whole of Georgia," runs the statement.

According to Mr Sanikidze, in this context the opposition has made a decision to hold, on Wednesday, May 6, at 4-5 p.m. "a precaution action", during which the central highways will be picketed at the entrance to Tbilisi; the roads will be blocked by cars, as the GHN Agency reports.

As they say in the statement, further, on May 8, cars will block central highways in Georgian regions.

"During this period Mr Saakashvili will be given 72 hours for fulfilling the resignation demand and starting talks with the opposition for ensuring the necessary measures for peaceful change of power in the constitutional order," says the statement of the opposition. It continues by saying that "should the demand be ignored, since May 11, we'll start termless picketing of central highways; the place of picketing will be announced on May 10," as the "Gazeta.Ru" writes.

Gubaz Sanikidze has also addressed the neighbouring countries and informed them that they would have to restrict transportation of their cargoes across the territory of Georgia. Mr Sanikidze warned Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey after he had acquainted the participants of the protest action of the non-parliamentary opposition about plans to picket central highways of the country.

So far, the authorities have made no comments on the new threats of the opposition, as the ITAR-TASS reports.