
Four years after the 2003 “rose revolution” that propelled him to power, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is proposing early presidential elections along with a simultaneous parallel referendum on parliamentary elections. The move has been seen as an attempt to snatch the political initiative from his opponents.
Moscow News, November 8, 2007
On November 7th police forcefully dispersed protesters, using tear-gas and water cannons. Scores of people were reported injured. The government then declared a 15-day state of emergency. Riot police stormed the main opposition television station, Imedi, and took it off the air.
The Economist, November 8, 2007