Georgian opposition listens to Catholicos-Patriarch, stops hunger strike
Georgian opposition, responding to appeal of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, has stopped a hunger strike, REGNUM correspondent has reported. The action has also been halted by activists of the United Opposition who were on the hunger strike action since March 9 before the parliament building, their supporters in other Georgian towns and members of the Right Opposition parliamentary faction who were on hunger strike in parliament speaker Nino Burdjanadze's reception room.
“We could not resist the Patriarch, for we cannot do anything without his blessing. However, if results of election of May 21 are falsified, a revolution will start,” member of the hunger strike, one of leaders of the United Opposition Giorgi Khaindrava announced to the people who gathered in front of the parliament building.
Another United Opposition leader and hunger strike participant Koba Davitashvili added: “opposition is not going to surrender the Imedi TV station to the authorities, and a permanent protest action is starting tomorrow afternoon before the TV station building.”
An overall of about 130 people took part in the hunger strike actions in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Zugdidi, Daba, and Tsnori. Of this number, about 70 stopped the hunger strike on March 25 evening, and about 60 were hospitalized lately on doctors' demand.
The hunger strike participants demanded that Georgian authorities satisfied opposition's Memorandum provisions and removed head of parliament. Late on March 25, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II called on the hunger strike participants to cease the action.
“You have performed a great task – made your opinion known. You have said what you thought was necessary to be said. During the Lent, you applied to action that is not Christian. Let God forgive you. I do not think that your hunger strike is already threatening to your health, but there are other ways to express one's opinion. I want to ask you once again to stop the hunger strike. Let us try to find some other ways to consensus. We must achieve unanimity,” Ilia II said.
“Let us try to conciliate with each other, try to listen to each other. Peremptory thinking is very dangerous for everybody – both average citizens and authorities. We necessarily have to learn to listen to each other, and God's will will be with us. And Georgia will conciliate, unite, and strengthen,” Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia observed.
00:37 03/26/2008
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