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Political chaos grips Georgia
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has declared a state of emergency after opposition forces seized parliament.
He refused to resign and said the armed forces would now take over after what he called a coup attempt.
Crowds led by main opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili stormed the parliament building after weeks of protests over disputed elections.
Nino Burjanadze, outgoing speaker of parliament, says she has become interim president of the ex-Soviet state.
But the situation is confused, with Mr Saakashvili appearing to suggest that Mr Shevardnadze could stay on - but only if he called early presidential elections.
"If he announces... some transitional period for new presidential elections, that's fine," he told CNN.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending his Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, to Georgia.
Officials in Moscow say Mr Putin is carrying out urgent consultations with leaders of the former Soviet republics.
'Civil war'
Mr Shevardnadze had been addressing the first session of parliament in the capital Tbilisi after the victory of his party and its allies in 2 November elections, which were declared fraudulent by international observers.
As opposition supporters stormed the building, he was bundled away by his bodyguards.
Opposition supporters later entered the building housing the office of the president.
The country's armed forces have not intervened and it is unclear whether they will enforce a state of emergency.
However, Reuters news agency says troops have taken up position around the interior ministry - one of the government departments tasked with enforcing the state of emergency.
Speaking to journalists, Mr Shevardnadze said: "With such people around, a civil war may start tomorrow...
"If I show weakness now, people will no longer forgive me."
Ms Burjanadze, leader of another opposition group, announced that she had assumed the powers of the president during a speech broadcast live by Georgian television.
"Until the issue of the president's capacity is finally resolved and until the date of the new presidential and parliamentary elections is fixed, I have to assume upon myself those functions for which I am responsible by the constitution," she said.
EVENTS LEADING TO 'COUP'
2 Nov: Parliamentary elections held
4 Nov: Anti-Shevardnadze protests begin
6 Nov: Election officials announce two-week delay until final results
18 Nov: Thousands of Shevardnadze supporters rally in Tbilisi
20 Nov: Central Election Commission declares Shevardnadze's party election victor; US claims "massive vote fraud"
21 Nov: Opposition supporters descend on Tbilisi
22 Nov: Parliament stormed; Shevardnadze denounces 'coup'
Hail of books
Hundreds of opposition supporters drove Mr Shevardnadze's supporters from parliament under a hail of books and pens after a number of fist-fights.
Live television pictures showed scenes reminiscent of the revolutions that toppled the communist governments of Eastern Europe more than a decade ago.
Opposition leaders made speeches inside the building after taking control.
"The velvet revolution has taken place in Georgia," Mr Saakashvili said, as the hall applauded him. "We are against violence."
Mr Shevardnadze, the former Soviet foreign minister, has clung to power through war, civil unrest and economic crisis in his country.
He had been under pressure to resign for several weeks before Saturday's dramatic events.
Mr Saakashvili had earlier vowed to "trample" the country's leadership as he led opposition activists up to the gates in front of Mr Shevardnadze's offices and called for the president to step down.
On Friday, the United States called on Georgia's government to conduct an independent investigation into the disputed election results.
State department spokesman Adam Ereli said the election results reflected "massive vote fraud" in some regions and "do not accurately reflect the will of the Georgian people".
prevzemeno od www.bbc.com
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