In his regular Monday radio interview, President Eduard Shevardnadze criticized parliament deputies on 18 August for failing to enact \"vitally important\" bills, including the budget sequester and the bill he proposed personally that designates bribing voters a criminal offense. He called on deputies to discuss and approve the proposed budget cuts without delay. An International Monetary Fund delegation that visited Georgia earlier this summer made disbursement of the third annual installment of a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility loan contingent upon enacting budget cuts by 15 August. On 19 August, parliament speaker Nino Burdjanadze rejected Shevardnadze\'s criticism, pointing out that she is not a schoolmistress and cannot constrain deputies to attend parliament like recalcitrant students. (Caucasus Press)