Military Parade In Doubt

Georgian Protests Putting Military Parade In Doubt -Officials

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TBILISI, Georgia (AFP)--Georgia will cancel its annual Independence Day military parade if it is liable to lead to clashes with opposition protesters, officials said Wednesday.

Opposition leaders said Tuesday they would march through central Tbilisi on May 26, when the former Soviet republic traditionally holds a parade featuring thousands of soldiers and military hardware.

Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava said the planned opposition march was a " provocation" aimed at trying to force the government to take action against protesters.

"Our response is calmness, patience, patience and more patience," he told journalists in remarks shown on Georgian television.

"If there are not the appropriate conditions, then obviously the parade and other celebrations will not be held."

Georgia's opposition has been protesting for more than a month to demand President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation. Talks Monday failed to resolve differences.

At the same time Saakashvili is under pressure from Western nations not to repeat a crackdown on opposition protests that occurred in November 2007.

Parliament speaker David Bakradze said the parade wasn't as important as maintaining calm.

"The main responsibility of the government is not to hold a parade but to keep civil calm and peace in the country," he told journalists.

"It is very unfortunate that part of the radical opposition is using May 26 as a chance for a provocation rather than the day that Georgia's independence should be celebrated by all Georgians regardless of political differences," he said.

The opposition accuses Saakashvili of mishandling the war with Russia and of becoming increasingly autocratic since he came to power after the peaceful 2003 Rose Revolution.