Former leader Shevardnadze urges Saakashvili to resign

(12 May 2009)
May 12, 2009
1. Various scenic shots of Tbilisi
2. Wide of street leading towards the house of former Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze
3. Mid shot Shevardnadze looking at photographs in a book
4. Close-up of photographs in book
5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Eduard Shevardnadze, former Georgian President:
"The situation in Georgia now is very tense, I would say even catastrophic. The opposition is well organised and strong. We've never had such a powerful opposition in Georgia. Yesterday, the opposition met with the president but they agreed on nothing."
6. Cutaway of book
7. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Eduard Shevardnadze, former Georgian President:
"If I were in his (Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili) place, I would resign."
FILE: November 2003
8. Wide shot Saakashvili supporters in the parliament
9. Mid shot Saakashvili with his supporters
10. Mid shot Shevardnadze at podium surrounded by guards
May 12, 2009
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Eduard Shevardnadze, former Georgian President:
"When armed guys broke into the parliament, there were two options. I still was president and commander-in-chief and could have used force but then a lot of blood would have been spilt. Or resignation. I chose the second option and resigned peacefully."
12. Cutaway photographs on the wall of Shevardnadze's study
13. Photograph of Shevardnadze with former US President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary
14. Shevardnadze being shown book with photographs
STORYLINE:
Former Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze on Tuesday described the situation in Georgia as "catastrophic" and urged the country's embattled president to resign.
Shevardnadze, who gained worldwide fame for his role in ending the Cold War as Mikhail Gorbachev's foreign minister, told AP Television that the opposition movement seeking the resignation of Mikhail Saakashvili was "well organised and strong".
He warned that events could spin out of control.
"The situation in Georgia at the moment is very tense, I would say, even catastrophic," he said.
Shevardnadze said that he voluntarily stepped down in 2003 to avoid bloodshed during massive public protests known as the Rose Revolution.
The protests propelled US-allied Saakashvili into power, but his popularity has declined since last August's botched war with Russia.
Saakashvili has been facing daily opposition protests for more than a month, but has refused to resign.
"We've never had such a powerful opposition in Georgia," Shevardnadze said.
Most opposition figures leading the protests played a role in the Rose Revolution and later served in Saakashvili's government.
"If I were in his (Saakashvili's) place, I would resign," Shevardnadze said.
He recalled a moment in 2003 when protesters seeking his resignation broke into parliament.
Shevardnadze said he had two options - to use force or resign.
"I chose the second," he added.
Talks between Saakashvili and four of his most outspoken opponents ended in stalemate on Monday.
The opposition promised to escalate the standoff in which thousands have demonstrated outside government buildings since April 9, occasionally clashing with police.

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