TBILISI, Nov 9: The Georgian defence minister said on Sunday the situation in the Caucasus state was out of control as thousands of angry protestors demanded veteran President Eduard Shevardnadze step down for alleged election fraud.

Thousands have staged sporadic demonstrations in the capital since the November 2 parliamentary polls accusing the government of ballot-stuffing and intimidating voters. Washington has said the poll was characterised by mismanagement and fraud.

“I think nothing good is going on here at the moment, and the situation has practically gone out of control. The situation is actually uncontrollable,” Defence Minister David Tevzadze told reporters.

Asked whether he planned to order a security build-up in the capital, Tevzadze said: “Everyone is aware that our job is outlined strictly by the constitution. Armed forces act according to their normal plan and fulfil their goals.”

Analysts said Georgia could be heading for political stalemate, but the turbulent country might also turn violent.

Georgia is closely watched by Western governments and investors keen for stability in a country soon to carry a pipeline to take Caspian oil to the Mediterranean Sea.

Shevardnadze, best known in the West as the Soviet foreign minister who helped end the Cold War, made a surprise attempt to appease opposition leaders outside parliament in Tbilisi.

But protesters shouted “go away!” and shook their fists in the freezing rain at the president in his armoured vehicle.

“We will stand here to the very end. We should not leave,” Zurab Zhvania, leader of the opposition “Burdzhanadze-Democrats” bloc told the crowd of some 3,000 people.

“Everything will calm down,” muttered Shevardnadze as his security guards escorted him through an increasingly aggressive crowd outside parliament in the early hours of Sunday.

But after some 15 minutes of trying to talk to shouting protesters, a grave-looking Shevardnadze slipped into his car and left.

“He ran away because he saw me,” said Mikhail Saakashvili, an outspoken opposition. “The main force behind all the fraud in the latest election is the president. Therefore he must resign.” Shevardnadze appeared on Georgian television later on Sunday to denounce Saakashvili as a “dangerous phenomenon” but said the response of the protesters had not surprised him.—Reuters