Georgia's Saakashvili postpones annual address

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has postponed his annual address by several hours after hundreds of his opponents blocked the entrance to the National Library where he planned to deliver his speech earlier, Radio Free Europe reports.

Saakashvili's press secretary Manana Mandzhgaladze told journalists the president would deliver his televised address to the nation from his residence at 1700 CET. That deadline has now passed, with no immediate further word on when the speech will take place.

The Georgian president’s annual address is usually delivered in the parliament, but Saakashvili decided not to speak there after legislators voted on February 7 to delay his speech indefinitely.

Parliamentary speaker David Usupashvili told journalists on February 7 that the speech was postponed because of the ongoing debates over constitutional amendments that would limit the presidential right to dissolve the government without parliamentary approval.

The majority in the parliament is held by the Georgian Dream coalition, led by Saakashvili’s rival, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Mandzhgaladze called the mass protest by Saakashvili's opponents a provocation and said Ivanishvili bears responsibility for it.