But not for long, as the coverage fades into the middle of the paper.
"Georgia Leader Calls Early Election to Decide His Fate" by C. J. CHIVERS
MOSCOW, Nov. 8 — The president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, on Thursday called for a special presidential election on Jan. 5, saying he would test whether he retained a mandate a day after a police crackdown and clashes with opposition demonstrators led the government to declare a state of emergency.
And hope everybody forgets about this!
Newspapers and foreign news broadcasts were not available in the capital on Thursday, and the police filled the streets. Residents wondered whether their country, a young and fragile democracy in a turbulent corner of the former Soviet Union, would backslide into authoritarian rule.
Appearing on national television at 7 p.m., three hours after calling the American ambassador in Tbilisi and notifying him of his plans for snap elections, Mr. Saakashvili defended the police action and expressed a degree of regret.
He said he had been forced to act against a plot by Russia to destabilize Georgia and threaten its independence and experiment in democracy.
The president insisted that he was protecting the country, not his own power:
“My chair is worth nothing to me; we care about countries, not chairs. Demand, and you will receive. You demanded early elections. Here they are: early elections. Come and decide who you want to vote for. I do not want to be the president of a country that limits mass media and that declares emergency rule. I can only rule the country if I have a renewed mandate from the people.”
And after I've rigged the ballot!
The government clearly hoped that the announcement would shift the opposition from a protest stance to a campaign stance, and that it would demonstrate to voters and Georgia’s international allies that Mr. Saakashvili was committed to democracy.
Yeah, shift the focus! Pfffffttt! All governments are the same!
Witnesses, diplomats, journalists and demonstrators described a frightening clampdown on Wednesday, as the riot police used tear gas, rubber bullets, batons and water cannon to chase demonstrators from the streets of Tbilisi. There were reports and video recordings of the police beating demonstrators who offered no resistance and of demonstrators in custody or prone on the ground. The police also attacked some of the journalists on the streets, and seized or destroyed their equipment.
Oh, that's why it made the news. Beat on the press corp, and you get bad pub!
