Shevardnadze offers to hold talks

There is little sign that opposition leaders want to negotiate

The president of Georgia has offered to meet opposition leaders again amid ongoing street protests at the results of last week's parliamentary polls.

Eduard Shevardnadze said political opponents who accuse him of rigging the vote were his fellow citizens and he wanted a dialogue with them.

He also moved to enlist further support both in Georgia and abroad.

But key opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili has ruled out new talks and said opposition demands had to be met.

At least 1,500 people have braved pouring rain in the capital for the fourth day running to protest outside parliament.

The people who... are on the other side of the barricades, are our people Eduard Shevardnadze

The government has confirmed that the security forces in the city have been boosted amid rumours that violence could erupt in the former Soviet state.

However, speaking at a meeting with businessmen, Mr Shevardnadze was conciliatory on Tuesday.

"We should have a feeling that the people who... are on the other side of the barricades, are our people," he said.

"They are our citizens. They are our children... We should work with them. We should continue a dialogue, I am ready for that... Let us talk. I believe that they will understand this. I believe that they will obey the laws, all of them."

Mr Shevardnadze told the businessmen that the political crisis was "hampering the development of the economy" of Georgia which is eyed as a key oil pipeline route from neighbouring Azerbaijan to Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

Manoeuvring

A spokesman for the Georgian interior ministry, Paata Gomelauri, told Reuters news agency that security forces in Tbilisi had been reinforced to guard against "unlawful or anti-constitutional steps".

Two assassination attempts have been made on President Shevardnadze since he came to power in 1992 against a background of political violence.

Saakashvili says the president must go

The president met opposition leaders including Mr Saakashvili, head of the National Movement, on Sunday but Mr Saakashvili later described the meeting as a waste of time.

He has been demanding the actual resignation of Mr Shevardnadze, whose term in office is not due to expire until 2005.

Mr Saakashvili's party accuses the government of rigging the election on 2 November and denying it victory.

Preliminary poll results show the pro-Shevardnadze For a New Georgia bloc leading with 20.6% over the Revival Union at 18.8% and National Movement at only 18.1%.

On Monday, Mr Shevardnadze held talks with Revival Union leader Aslan Abashidze - an old rival - at which he appeared to enlist his backing.

News of the emerging new alliance led Mr Saakashvili to declare that the president "aligns himself not only with Abashidze but with the devil too".

Mr Shevardnadze also appeared to win new backing abroad on Tuesday, building on support offered earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He had talks by telephone with the presidents of both Armenia and Azerbaijan, in which they stressed the need for stability in Georgia.