Georgian opposition rips into presidential policy

TBILISI, March 24 (RIA Novosti) - Five leading opposition parties and a number of non-governmental organizations in Georgia Friday issued a joint memorandum subjecting the policy pursued by the country's leadership to a scathing attack.

The document was signed by representatives of the Republican Party, the Conservative Party, the New Right Party, the Freedom movement, and the Labor Party.

"There are human rights violations happening in the country, killings by law enforcement agencies, torture of prisoners, politically motivated reprisals, pressure on the mass media, and infringement of property rights," the memorandum says.

The document expressed concern over the amendments that had been made to the Georgian Constitution, criminal law, and the electoral code, saying in particular that after the 2003 "rose revolution", when a popular uprising bought Mikheil Saakashvili to power, the "Georgian president and the executive are attempting to appropriate judicial and legislative functions."