Zurab Zhvania, the leader of the bloc Burdzhanadze-Democrats, said the leadership of the bloc would not take part in the hunger strike. For his part, Mikhail Saakashvili, the leader of Saakashvili-National Movement, said the opposition was going to block all government buildings and thus force President Eduard Shevardnadze to resign. Protesters are not going to let officials into the government buildings or let them out.

A protest rally continued throughout the night in the square in front of the parliament building, despite a hard rain. About 2,000 people took part in the rally. Georgian pop stars gave a concert in the square in support of the opposition.

There were no police or special forces at the site. Georgian Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili said the authorities were not going to use force to dispel the rally, except in case of security threats to citizens, the President and strategic targets.

The opposition demands that the results of the parliamentary election, held on November 2, be invalidated, and the date for a new election be fixed. If their demands are not met, the opposition is going to insist on the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze.

Meanwhile, voting results were ruled invalid in 27 voting districts, NTV television reports. According to the Central Election Commission of Georgia, the results in these districts were declared invalid because of procedural flaws and “incidents”. A revote is scheduled for November 16. A second round of elections will be held in 10 voting districts.