Opposition in Georgia plans new protests on May 25

Today Tbilisi has seen continuation of oppositional actions; and a new wave of them is scheduled for May 25. However, some Georgian MPs see "the hand of Moscow" in the events, while Russian Foreign Ministry accuses Saakashvili's regime of human rights violations.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since May 21 protests continue in Tbilisi, announced by the oppositional "People's Forum" ("People's Assembly"), where Nino Burjanadze, ex-speaker of the Georgian Parliament, is one of the leaders. The opposition has announced that mass actions will be endless and last at least until May 26.

According to Ms Burjanadze, on May 25 the opposition plans to march from the building of the Public Television to the Freedom Square, where on May 26 they plan to continue their rally, since on that day the authorities plan a military parade in honour of the Independence Day, the "GHN" reports.

"The authorities won't be able to easily hold the parade," Nino Burjanadze has promised. According to the ex-speaker, who referred to her reliable sources, it became known that the Georgian army would not support the authorities in case of dispersal of the oppositional rally.

It is planned that the May 25 action will be attended by Irakli Okruashvili, ex-defence minister, who had earlier stated that he would leave Paris, where he lives in the status of political refugee, and arrive in Tbilisi for the "Day of Anger", announced by him, the "Interfax" reports.

"The oppositionists' actions in Georgia have failed because the today's protest movement in Tbilisi and Batumi had been organized by pro-Russian forces," Nugzar Tsiklauri, an MP from the ruling party "United National Movement", said today during discussing the situation at the Georgian Parliament, the "News-Georgia" reports.

Mr Tsiklauri has also noted that the events may develop along a dangerous scenario, if the organizers of protests, seeing that peaceful actions give no fruit, will undertake provocative actions in order to instigate an explosion of radicalism.