<html>
<head>
<meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8">
<title>CANADA URGES PEACEFUL TRANSITION AND DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA</title>
</head>
<body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">
<p><font size="+1"><strong>November 24, 2003 <em>(4:30 p.m. EST)</em> No. 179</strong></font><font size="+1"></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>CANADA URGES PEACEFUL TRANSITION AND </strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA</strong></font></p>
<p>Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham today called on the people of Georgia to continue the peaceful transition of
government following President Eduard Shevardnadze's resignation. Opposition leaders had been pressuring
Mr. Shevardnadze to resign since the parliamentary elections of November 2, 2003. According to the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, the elections did not meet international standards.</p>
<p>"Canada welcomes the restraint shown by all sides during the peaceful change that occurred in Tbilisi over the weekend.
We cannot overemphasize the importance of continued stability during this transition," said Minister Graham. "Canada,
along with the international community, urges Georgia's new leaders to follow through on their promise of free and fair
elections in the near future."</p>
<p>Georgia's Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze, who will act as interim president, has pledged that both presidential and
parliamentary elections will be held within 45 days.</p>
<p>Former Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze had been Georgia's President since his election in October 1992.
Constitutionally barred from running for a third term in office, President Shevardnadze had said he would not seek office in
the presidential election scheduled for 2005.</p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Isabelle Savard</p>
<p>Director of Communications</p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</p>
<p>(613) 995-1851</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221101617/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a></p>
</body>
</html>
