Mikhail Saakashvili, the leader of Georgian National Movement party, officially launched his election campaign on Thursday, exactly one month ahead of the poll date, Russian news agencies reported.

Saakashvili, the sole presidential candidate of his party and the Burdzhanadze-Democrats bloc, said his main rival in the election would be "time and people who want Georgia to explode."

Destabilization attempts have begun, he said.

"If they do not stop, we will identify these people and punish them severely," Saakashvili said, announcing the beginning of the campaign at a students' center in the capital of Tbilisi.

He warned that any delay or boycott of the election means "a new danger and the beginning of new shocks."

Saakashvili, a 35-year-old lawyer, was one of the leaders of the three-week-long protests last month, which prompted the resignation of former President Edward Shevardnaze.

After Shevardnaze stepped down on Nov. 23, the Georgian interim parliament decided to hold early presidential elections on Jan. 4,2004.

There are 15 candidates, 13 men and two women, contending for the post.

They are due to submit the signatures of 50,000 supporters to the country's Central Electoral Commission by Dec. 12.

Saakashvili is expected to win the poll. But if none of the candidates can collect more than 50 percent of the votes, a run-off will be held on Jan. 18.

Despite the "velvet revolution" that caused the peaceful power change, the situation in the Caucasus state remains unstable.

On Wednesday evening, a powerful explosion hit Georgia's state television center in Tbilisi, shattering windows in the building but caused no casualties.

The Georgian government believes it was an attempt to disrupt the upcoming elections. Acting President Nino Burdzhanadze said the authorities will do their best to prevent such attempts. Police have launched an inquiry into the blast.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs Lynn Pascoe, who is visiting Tbilisi, said Thursday that the United States is prepared to provide financial assistance to the democratic elections in Georgia.

He made the remarks after a meeting with members of the Georgian Central Electoral Commission.

He said Washington would not support any particular party or candidate in the presidential and parliament elections in Georgia.

Meanwhile, the Georgian Defense Ministry press service said Thursday that US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was scheduled to arrive in Georgia on Friday for a two-day visit.

According to the ministry, Rumsfeld will hold talks with acting president Burdzhanadze, Minister of State Zurab Zhvania and Defense Minister David Tevzadze on Saturday.

The ministry declined to specify what topics would be focused on at the talks, noting that they will deal with "prospects of bilateral military cooperation."

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2003)