Pressure on Georgia

The pro-Western Saakashvili imposed the 15-day state of emergency, which bans public demonstrations and independent newscasts, after violent clashes on Wednesday between police and anti-government protesters in Tbilisi.

He later called a snap presidential election for January 5.

The European Union's envoy to the South Caucasus on Saturday called on Georgia to lift the state of emergency, restore private media channels and resume dialogue between the government and the opposition.

"The most important point right now is to look forward and that should involve lifting the state of emergency as soon as possible," Peter Semneby, the EU special representative to the South Caucasus, told reporters.

Georgian government officials and the opposition were to officially meet later on Saturday for the first time since the clashes to discuss election laws, officials said.

US envoy to fly in to demand end to emergency rule

Matthew Bryza, the US deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, was also due to arrive in Tbilisi later in the day to insist on an immediate lifting of emergency rule, the US State Department said.

Meanwhile, Badri Patarkatsishvili, a prominent Georgian businessman who has financed the country's opposition, said he will run in January's presidential election.

"I will take part in the election campaign and the presidential election in January 2008," Patarkatsishvili was quoted as saying in a statement from the Bell Pottinger Group, a London-based public relations agency.

Patarkatsishvili said that he would campaign with the slogan "Georgia without Saakashvili is Georgia without Terror" and call a referendum on boosting the parliament's powers, if elected.

Media tycoon accused of planning coup

Georgian authorities earlier said Patarkatsishvili, who is believed to be out of the country, was suspected of plotting a coup against Saakashvili and that he was wanted for questioning.

The tycoon is co-owner with New York-based News Corp. of the private Georgian broadcaster Imedi, a network seen as sympathetic to the opposition that was taken off the air following the clashes.

In the statement, Patarkatsishvili accused Saakashvili of cracking down on democracy in Georgia and called on the authorities to lift the state of emergency "immediately" and stop "politically motivated criminal cases."

He also said he could change his mind about running for president if opposition forces united and "put forward a joint candidate with a very clear objective -- to defeat the Saakashvili regime."

End of emergency first, candidature second

The leader of the opposition Republican party, Levan Berdzenishvili, told reporters after Patarkatsishvili's announcement that opposition forces would only discuss candidatures after emergency is lifted.

Georgia's parliament endorsed Saakashvili's state of emergency ruling on Friday, but top officials said they expected it to be lifted much sooner than the approved 15 days, which runs out on November 22.

Saakashvili prompted international condemnation when he ordered the state of emergency after riot police used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of people who had gathered to call for his resignation.

Saakashvili said Wednesday's events were part of a coup attempt masterminded by Russia to overthrow his government.

Moscow has dismissed the accusation and said Saakashvili was looking for a scapegoat for his domestic political troubles.

The Georgian leader was in danger this week of seeing his image as one of the most democratic presidents of the former Soviet republics tarnished by the brutal police crackdown and imposition of emergency rule.

Opponents have accused Saakashvili of hoarding power and becoming arrogant since he swept to office after the 2003 pro-democracy uprising dubbed the Rose Revolution.