Annual report of Georgian President postponed because of protest action

Participants of the protest action of former political prisoners and their supporters, who demanded the resignation of Mikhail Saakashvili, did not allow the MPs from the President's entourage to enter the building of the National Library, where the Georgian leader was to deliver the report.

After the refusal of the parliamentary majority to listen to the report of the President, it was decided that Mikhail Saakashvili would present the report in the form of appeal to the people of Georgia. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by the press service of the President.

About 500 persons did not allow the MPs of the parliamentary minority and Gigi Ugulava, the Mayor of Tbilisi, surrounding them and pushing them beyond the territory adjacent to the National Library. During the protest action, the government officials were attacked by a crowd, and some of them were injured, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The protesters wanted to attend the President's report; however, they were not allowed to and that fact caused a "natural protest". This was told to the journalists by Nana Kakabadze, Chairperson of the NGO "Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights".

Despite the fact that law enforcement agents have provided the MPs from the President's entourage with safe passage, they did not use it. This was emphasized by Irakli Garibashvili, Minister of Internal Affairs, who arrived at the place of the protest action.