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CNN Live Sunday
Georgians Celebrate After President Shevardnadze Resigns
Aired November 23, 2003 - 16:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Stunning development out of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. After vowing not to resign, Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze stepped down today, and opposition leader Mikhail Shakashvili is expected to pursue the presidency now, possibly in a race against another opposition leader.
CNN's Jill Dougherty is joininging us now live via video phone from Tbilisi, where there has been so much activity the last 2 days, and that's an understatement. What's the latest, Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Catherine, I think you can probably hear it and see it behind me. Absolute jubilation now that this revolution is over and it ended peacefully. And that was the most important thing to these people.
It ended with the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze, the man who ruled this country since 1992, the man who literally thought of himself as the father of the country. But he was brought down by allegations and charges of corruption and also stealing elections.
That is the thing that sparked the revolution here. People simply fed up with living very poorly and having elections stolen.
But as I said, it ended peacefully. A dramatic meeting between president Shevardnadze, two members of the opposition, and the Russian foreign minister sitting down and brokering a deal. Shevardnadze stepped down. He is not going to be prosecuted. And at this hour we're not quite sure where he is.
Some say that he will stay here in Georgia. Another person, one of the leaders, in fact, said that he might have fled the country. But whatever the case, which we will eventually find out, there is now a new acting president, and her name is Nino Bergunadze.
She is the speaker of the parliament, and she'll be the president until they can call new elections, and that should happen, Catherine, in about 45 days. New presidential and new parliamentary elections. Back to you.
CALLAWAY: Jill, we have already heard from Mikhail Shakashvili yesterday. He was already making speeches. What about Berdzenadze? Will she run as well?
DOUGHERTY: Well, she seems to be interested in that, but she's more -- I have to say a more moderate politician. She's not as showy. She's not as vibrant as Shakashvili. He is really a dynamo. By the way, he's American educated. And he has just the right words to lead the people.
She, Mrs. Berdzenadze, is more quiet, more moderate, and maybe that won't be enough to really push her over the top. You'd have to say Shakashvili really does want to be president.
Those elections, again, will be in about 45 days.
CALLAWAY: And Jill, just your final thoughts on covering this. It's just an incredible turn of events in the last 24 hours. And that it took place with no violence.
DOUGHERTY: Yes. That is the most amazing thing, Catherine, because you know, when we came here everyone was worried about the fact that maybe they would pull out the military and use them against the people here in this square. Don't forget that just back in 1992 this very place was where there were tanks and armored personnel carriers, people being shot in the street. It was a civil war.
So people here have been through that. They didn't want it. And they were able to hold it together without any violence. They still have a lot of problems, believe me. They have a very, very bad economic situation and terrible corruption. But at least they've made a step in the right direction, with moving ahead peacefully.
CALLAWAY: Jill, thank you very much. That's CNN's Jill Dougherty live from Tbilisi. Thanks, Jill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 23, 2003 - 16:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Stunning development out of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. After vowing not to resign, Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze stepped down today, and opposition leader Mikhail Shakashvili is expected to pursue the presidency now, possibly in a race against another opposition leader.
CNN's Jill Dougherty is joininging us now live via video phone from Tbilisi, where there has been so much activity the last 2 days, and that's an understatement. What's the latest, Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Catherine, I think you can probably hear it and see it behind me. Absolute jubilation now that this revolution is over and it ended peacefully. And that was the most important thing to these people.
It ended with the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze, the man who ruled this country since 1992, the man who literally thought of himself as the father of the country. But he was brought down by allegations and charges of corruption and also stealing elections.
That is the thing that sparked the revolution here. People simply fed up with living very poorly and having elections stolen.
But as I said, it ended peacefully. A dramatic meeting between president Shevardnadze, two members of the opposition, and the Russian foreign minister sitting down and brokering a deal. Shevardnadze stepped down. He is not going to be prosecuted. And at this hour we're not quite sure where he is.
Some say that he will stay here in Georgia. Another person, one of the leaders, in fact, said that he might have fled the country. But whatever the case, which we will eventually find out, there is now a new acting president, and her name is Nino Bergunadze.
She is the speaker of the parliament, and she'll be the president until they can call new elections, and that should happen, Catherine, in about 45 days. New presidential and new parliamentary elections. Back to you.
CALLAWAY: Jill, we have already heard from Mikhail Shakashvili yesterday. He was already making speeches. What about Berdzenadze? Will she run as well?
DOUGHERTY: Well, she seems to be interested in that, but she's more -- I have to say a more moderate politician. She's not as showy. She's not as vibrant as Shakashvili. He is really a dynamo. By the way, he's American educated. And he has just the right words to lead the people.
She, Mrs. Berdzenadze, is more quiet, more moderate, and maybe that won't be enough to really push her over the top. You'd have to say Shakashvili really does want to be president.
Those elections, again, will be in about 45 days.
CALLAWAY: And Jill, just your final thoughts on covering this. It's just an incredible turn of events in the last 24 hours. And that it took place with no violence.
DOUGHERTY: Yes. That is the most amazing thing, Catherine, because you know, when we came here everyone was worried about the fact that maybe they would pull out the military and use them against the people here in this square. Don't forget that just back in 1992 this very place was where there were tanks and armored personnel carriers, people being shot in the street. It was a civil war.
So people here have been through that. They didn't want it. And they were able to hold it together without any violence. They still have a lot of problems, believe me. They have a very, very bad economic situation and terrible corruption. But at least they've made a step in the right direction, with moving ahead peacefully.
CALLAWAY: Jill, thank you very much. That's CNN's Jill Dougherty live from Tbilisi. Thanks, Jill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
