The New Rights Party has called on Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze to resign. 

“The current crisis is becoming irreversible, and the intransigence of the authorities and their irresponsible attitude towards ongoing political processes is also becoming irreversible,” MP Pikria Chikhradze of the New Rights Party said in a statement made on behalf of her party. “Nino Burjanadze has said recently that the authorities would not be responsible for the consequences. It seems they never assume responsibility for political processes in the country.”

“So, we think that Nino Burjanadze, as a politician, as the parliamentary chairperson, as a citizen of this country and a woman has no moral right to hold her current position. We demand she analyze the current situation and make an appropriate decision. If we do not want to bring the country to deadlock, she should make a decision and resign.”

“Our major demand from today is Nino Burjanadze’s resignation. The person who made immoral political decisions has no right to retain this post any more,” MP Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of the New Rights Party, told journalists.

Seven lawmakers from the New Rights Party (initially there were six, but MP Irakli Iashvili joined them on March 13), are on hunger strike outside Burjanadze’s office inside Parliament. 

Burjanadze - because the opposition had refused to negotiate with President Saakashvili, describing him as “an illegitimate president” - was the key ruling party negotiator in recent talks with the opposition. The opposition, however, subsequently accused Burjanadze of not following through on commitments undertaken during the negotiation process. Criticism of her intensified following the introduction of constitutional amendments on electing 75 majoritarian MPs, which was strongly opposed by the opposition. Burjanadze said that attacks on her were a pre-election maneuvre. It is believed that Burjanadze will lead the National Movement’s party-list of MP candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.