On November 15, political opposition leaders met with top government representatives but walked away with no results.

Government representatives included Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze and prominent MP Giga Bokeria

Republican Tina Khidasheli and Conservative MP Kakha Kukava negotiated on behalf of the nine-party opposition coalition. They demanded the government grant equal party representation on election commissions, end “political repression,” allow Imedi TV back on air and sack the Central Election Commission chief.

The Republicans and Conservatives, which together form the Democratic Front faction in parliament, say they are unanimous in their demands, particularly the question of equal election commission representation.

“A draft law to introduce the parity principle [to election commission] was presented to parliament as early as October, so our demands aren’t news to the majority,” Khidasheli stated.

The majority is currently proposing electoral reforms which would allow the government to appoint five members plus the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC).

On top of the government appointees, each political party eligible for state funding would get one member on the CEC. Currently, seven parties would qualify: the ruling National Movement, and the oppositional New Rights, Industrialists, Labor Party, Freedom Party, Republicans and Conservatives.

That would give the government seven appointees to the opposition’s six on the CEC, in theory a board of impartial election overseers. Its head, however, has come under attack for allegedly being too close to government figures.

“We couldn’t achieve agreements on any key issues, though we will continue the dialogue and hope for results,” Khidasheli told journalists after the meeting.

Kukava, meanwhile, was less optimistic. He called on the international community to push the government into more construction dialogue.

“The negotiations have practically stopped because the government doesn’t want make any compromises,” he said on November 15. “They’re stubborn, so international organizations to be actively involved, especially in the case of Imedi TV.”

Imedi TV, founded by tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili and now owned by News Corp, was shut down on November 7. Network representatives say they were threatened and their equipment destroyed by special forces officers; government officials say the station was airing statements, including one by Patarkatsishvili, calling for the violent overthrow of the state.

Patarkatsishvili is wanted for questioning by prosecutors, and Imedi’s broadcast license has been suspended.

The New Rights, one of the few prominent opposition parties to opt out of the opposition coalition which the Republicans and Conservatives joined, also sat in on the meeting.

The New Rights and the allied Industrialists have both expressed approval of the government’s proposed electoral reforms. None of their representatives, nor those of the government, were available for comment.

Vice-Speaker of Parliament Mikheil Machavariani, speaking for the government, blamed a lack of progress on the opposition coalition members.

“This part of the opposition wants to spoil the negotiations. Their demands are becoming more and more radical to our compromises,” Machavariani told the state-owned broadcaster.