May 11, 2009 - 22:20 AMT
Talks with Saakashvili end in vain
The two-hour talks between President Saakashvili and the opposition ended in vain, one of Georgian opposition leaders Levan Gechechiladze writes.

"He [Saakashvili] believes that everything is fine in the country, but we have a different opinion on that account," Mr. Gechechiladze noted. According to the Georgian pro-opposition leader, the activists are going to conduct a conference with other opposition leaders. The outcomes will be publicized during a meeting in front of Parliament House, RIA Novosti reports.

Since April 9, the Georgian opposition has been demonstrating against the President. As of late April, there were over 1 million people delivering speeches during protests. There have been clashes with law enforcement officials.

On May 8, the authorities were reported to be preparing for a meeting with the opposition to discuss the situation in the country, Parliament Speaker David Bakradze says. In the meantime, the opposition leaders expressed their willingness to have a public meeting with the Speaker and President.

On May 10, President Saakashvili announced the date of meeting with pro-opposition figures. He and representatives of Georgian authorities have more than once expressed willingness to consider possible ways out of the complicated situation. t they are unwilling to meet any demand concerning the President's resignation.