Georgian Daily News for January 16, 2008
Headlines from Television News:
Rustavi2 TV: US State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack has released a press statement about the 5 January
presidential elections in Georgia. 'We also congratulate the people of Georgia on the conduct of the presidential election,
which was the most competitive in Georgia‘s history and which was determined by international organizations to be in essence
consistent with most OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and shared standards for democratic elections, despite
significant challenges'. Together with other international observers, we looked closely at the problems that were raised,
including carefully reviewing the findings of our own observation mission and meeting with colleagues from other international
monitoring organizations and members of the opposition. Our conclusion is consistent with the findings of the OSCE‘s Office of
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and other respected organizations'. The Central Election Commission
answered specific concerns raised by our own observation team. We support ODIHR‘s efforts to catalog any complaints they
receive, including in an additional report to be issued this week. We urge the appropriate authorities to respond transparently
and expeditiously to all complaints'. We are ready to work with all parties to address these problems as we look ahead to
Parliamentary elections this spring', it is said in the statement.
Rustavi2 TV: The Heritage Foundation has released yearly report about the Index of Economic Freedom, according to which
'Georgia's economy is 69.2 percent free, according to our 2008 assessment, which makes it the world's 32nd freest economy'.
It is said in the reported that 'Georgia is ranked 18th out of 41 countries in the European region, and its overall score is equal
to the regional average. Georgia scores extraordinarily well in business freedom, fiscal freedom, government size, investment
freedom, and labor freedom. Business operations are simple and not hampered by red tape'.
Rustavi2 TV: Acting president Nino Burjanadze has confirmed that structural reorganization will take place in state offices,
including ministries as well as in governmental team, local governments and future parliamentary composition of the ruling
party. Nino Burjanadze has also said that posts of vice-premiers might be offered to competent political figures from
opposition. 'We have many common values and goals. Saakashvili has already announced that he is prepared to ignore the
membership of any opposition party but consider their professionalism in the process of staffing future government,'
Burjanadze said. Reportedly, changes will refer the ministries of Labor, health and social care and arguably department of
social issues will be separated from it; the interior ministry may also separate from the security one as it was years ago and
etc.
Georgian Public Broadcaster: Tbilisi City Court‘s Panel of Criminal Cases has sentenced Badri Patarkatsishvili to a two-
month pre-trial custody in no attendance of him. Defence lawyer of the business tycoon Shalva Shavgulidze noted the
Prosecutor General‘s Office has addressed the Court with the mentioned plea. ‗We are planning to appeal against the
judgment within 48 hours. We believe that the decision is groundless and unwarranted,‘ Shavgulidze stressed. Badri
Patarkatsishili, presidential candidate and a Georgian business tycoon is charged for conspiracy and coup-de-tat ploy, based
an audio material released by office of Georgia‘s Prosecutor General on December 25, depicting a meeting held between
Patarkatsishvili and Erekle Kodua, Head of the Special Operative Department (SOD) of Georgia‘s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The meeting was held on December 23 in London.
Georgian Public Broadcaster: The Board of Trustees of the Georgian Public Broadcasting (GPB) will be re-staffed based on
an agreement that has been mutually reached with members of the Georgian opposition and representatives of the Georgian
government yesterday. The Board of Trustees consists of 9 members. The service term of a trustee is 6 years. One-third of
the members of the Board changes once in two years, according to the rotation rule. A person shall not be appointed as a
trustee for more than 2 terms of serving. Each member is to be elected by Parliament of Georgia, via secret polling. The Board
of Trustees defines program priorities of the Georgian Public Broadcasting taking into consideration results of surveys
regularly conducted to determine the public‘s viewpoints, main trends of the state policy regarding broadcasting and national
priorities. Acting president Nino Burjanadze announced yesterday that the Board of Trustees of the GPB would be reshuffled
in order to increase public confidence towards the TV station. She said the Board would be staffed according to the parity
principle. Burjanadze said the government was holding negotiations with the opposition on eight issues and reorganization of
the GPB was one of them. She also defined that the reorganization would not refer to journalists and the staff of the TV
station, who had been fulfilling their duties as real professionals.
Georgian Public Broadcaster: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will lead the delegation of the Russian Federation to
Georgia, in order to attend the inauguration ceremony of the re-elected president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. Russian
ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko has made the relevant statement during his today‘s meeting with Georgia's Deputy
Foreign Minister Grigol Katamadze. Russian president Vladimir Putin has received today an official invitation from Georgia
asking for the presence of Russia‘s president at the inauguration ceremony for Mikheil Saakashvili, the re-elected Georgian
president. The ceremony will begin in Kutaisi, Bagrati Chapel, where president-elect Mikheil Saakashvili will take an oath. The
ceremony is scheduled for January 20 and all eyes the world over will be on Georgia.
Compiled by George Shengelaia of Georgian Daily, New York, NY and local staff of IMF Resident Representative Office in Georgia using Black Sea
Press, Sarke, Prime News, Rustavi2, Public Broadcasting Company, The Messenger, Civil Georgia, Interpressnews and other press reporting.
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Economic News # 1-6
1. Georgia Ranks 32nd in Index of Economic Freedom
January 16, 2008; Source: Interpressnews
Georgia‘s economy is 69.2% free, ranking 32nd among 162 countries worldwide, according to 2008 assessment of The
Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. Its overall score is 0.1 percentage point lower than last year. Georgia is
ranked 18th out of 41 countries in the European region, and its overall score is equal to the regional average. Georgia scores
extraordinarily well in business freedom, fiscal freedom, government size, investment freedom, and labor freedom. ‗Business
operations are simple and not hampered by red tape. A very low top income tax rate complements the low corporate tax rate,
and tax revenue is fairly low as a percentage of GDP. The strongest national institution is the labor market, which is highly
flexible and far freer than those of most advanced economies.‘ The assessment ranks Labor Freedom in Georgia at 99.9%,
saying that ‗highly flexible employment regulations enhance employment opportunities and productivity growth. The non-salary
cost of employing a worker can be moderate, and dismissing a redundant employee is costless. Rules on the number of work
hours are very flexible. Georgia leads the world in labor market freedom.‘ Meanwhile, it says that Property Rights and
Freedom from Corruption are still problems for Georgia. Several important facts from the assessment on Georgia: ‗Starting a
business takes an average of 11 days, compared to the world average of 46 days; Georgia has made significant progress
toward liberalizing its trade regime, but agriculture subsidies, an inefficient customs process, and other barriers continue to
add to the cost of trade; Georgia has low tax rates; In the most recent year, government spending equaled 25 percent of GDP;
Foreign firms may participate freely in privatizations, though transparency has been an issue; Judicial corruption is still a
problem despite substantial improvement in trying to raise the level of efficiency and fairness in the courts; government still
faces a persistent challenge in controlling corruption. It has fired thousands of civil servants and police, and several high-level
officials have been prosecuted for corruption-related offenses.‘ Hong-Kong, Singapore and Ireland top the rating of The
Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.
http://www.interpressnews.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=200&info_id=202629
2. Parliament to Raise Pensions
January 16, 2008; Source: www.messenger.com.ge
With president-elect Mikheil Saakashvili barely scraping a majority victory and parliamentary elections likely to be held in
spring, the ruling party is pledging to fulfill some of Saakashvili‘s campaign promises within weeks, according to the newspaper
24 Saati. On January 13 the government set itself a 50 day deadline to work out a plan to implement a cheap loan scheme
announced by Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze in November. The following day, Davit Tkeshelashvili, Minister of Health,
Labor and Social Affairs, announced that parliament would soon pass a bill raising pensions for residents of old people‘s
homes, according to the television station Rustavi 2. Increasing pensions was one of the key election promises made by
Saakashvili during his campaign, which focused largely on social issues.
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1525_january_16_2008/1525_econ_one.html
3. Georgia Moves to Reopen Russian Market for Wine and Water
January 16, 2008; Source: Civil Georgia
The Georgian side is ready to invite Russia‘s ―competent commission‖ to study the quality of Georgian wine and mineral water
on the ground in Georgia to help pave the way for the reopening of the Russian market, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on
January 16. A letter containing the proposal for Russia‘s chief sanitary officer, Gennady Onishchenko, was handed over to the
Russian ambassador in Tbilisi, Vyacheslav Kovalenko, who had been summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry.
Onishchenko, whose agency formally banned the import of Georgian wine and mineral water last spring, called for talks on the
issue with the Georgian side at the beginning of the month. Russia cited health safety concerns behind its decision to ban
Georgian imports, but Tbilisi maintains the move was politically-motivated in an attempt to apply economic pressure on
Georgia.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=16917
4. 34% of State Budget Went to Defense Spending in 2007
January 16, 2008; Source: Interpressnews
34% of Georgia‘s State Budget went to defense sphere in 2007, the government of Georgia has published the budget
spending figures based on the data of the Ministry of Finance. 18% (GEL 5.5 billion) of expenditure part of the budget was
spent on social expenses, 14% - economic activities, 9% - education, 6% - healthcare, 2% - culture, 1% - environment
protection and 16% - other spheres. In December 2007, state budget received record high sums – GEL 503 million. Nika
Gilauri, the Finance Minister of Georgia said the fact points to stable development of business in the country, notwithstanding
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the well-known political events.Proceeds of Georgia‘s 2007-year budget made GEL 5, 915 billion, surpassing the planned
figure by 1%.
http://www.interpressnews.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=200&info_id=202750
5. 6.8 Billion kWt/h Power Generated at HPPs in 2007
January 16, 2008; Source: Interpressnews
Georgia-based regulatory and seasonal hydro power plants have produced 6.8-billion kilowatt/h energy last year,
InterpressNews has learned at the Ministry of Energy of Georgia. Volume of electricity generated in regulatory hydro power
plants has made 4.5 billion kWt/h in 2007, while at seasonal power stations – 2.3 billion kWt/h. As compared with year 2006,
quota of electricity produced by hydro power plants is relatively boosted in common balance of energy, while it is decreased in
case of thermal power stations. In 2007, index of power, generated by thermal power stations, was 1.5 billion kWt/h, while in
2006 – 2.2 billion kWt/h.
http://www.interpressnews.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=200&info_id=202728
6. 28.02 Million Tons of Azeri Oil Shipped via BTC Oil Pipeline in 2007
January 16, 2008; Source: Interpressnews
28.02 million tons of Azerbaijani oil were shipped last year via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the press service of State Oil
Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) says in a statement. Since Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was put into operation
in autumn of 2006, there has been 37.40 million tons of oil exported via BTC pipeline to date. The statement denotes that 36
million tons of Azerbaijani oil were supplied from the Ceyhan port to world market within this period.
http://www.interpressnews.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=200&date=&new_month=&new_year=
Political News # 7-26
7. Georgian Leader's Inauguration
January 16, 2008; Source: AFP
Georgia's president-elect Mikhail Saakashvili is to be inaugurated Jan. 20 at a 1,000-year old cathedral following his contested
victory in elections earlier this month, his spokeswoman said Wednesday. A swearing-in ceremony at the Bagrati cathedral,
near the western town of Kutaisi, will be continued at the parliament building in the capital Tbilisi, followed by a military parade
and concert, spokeswoman Nato Partskhaladze told AFP. The opposition, which is refusing to recognize Saakashvili's victory
with 53% of the vote in the Jan. 5 polls, said it would mark the inauguration with a street protest. "On January 20 we will
organise a major demonstration. We will demonstrate national rejection of Saakashvili's inauguration," Levan Gachechiladze,
who was runner-up in the election with 25%, told Georgian Public Television. "Several heads of state are expected at the
inauguration, including presidents of the Baltic republics, Poland and Ukraine," said another Saakashvili spokesman, Vano
Noniashvili. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned down an invitation from Saakshvili, who says he wants his
second five-year term to see an improvement in relations between Tbilisi and Moscow, Interfax news agency reported.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend instead, the agency reported, quoting Russia's ambassador to Georgia.
8. Putin Congratulates Georgian President-Elect on Victory, Hopes for Better Relations
January 16, 2008; Source: AP
President Vladimir Putin congratulated Georgia's president-elect Wednesday, expressing hope that long-troubled relations
between the two ex-Soviet republics can be now be improved. Putin's statement, issued by the Kremlin, was Moscow's first
acknowledgment of Mikhail Saakashvili's victory in the Jan. 5 election, which Saakashvili called last fall amid violent opposition
protests. "Accept my congratulations in connection with your re-election to the post of president of Georgia," Putin said,
according to a terse Kremlin statement. "I would like to hope for the constructive development of relations between our
countries in the upcoming period." The congratulations were a marked contrast to the statement issued by Russian Foreign
Ministry the day after the vote, which said "the election campaign can hardly be called 'free and fair'." Over the weekend,
Saakashvili also sounded a conciliatory note toward Russia, saying he regretted that bilateral relations had been spoiled
during his first term in office. Ties between Moscow and Tbilisi have been thorny for some time, troubled in particular over
Georgia's accusations that Russia is undermining its sovereignty by supporting separatists in two breakaway regions. In 2006,
Georgia arrested and expelled several Russians it accused of espionage; Russia retaliated by cutting off all transport and most
trade links and expelling ethnic Georgians living in Moscow and other Russian cities. Putin's congratulations could take the
steam out of opposition efforts to force a re-count in the vote which it insists was marred by fraud. Tens of thousands of people
demonstrated Tuesday in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, pressing for a runoff. Official results showed Saakashvili with more than
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53 percent and his main challenger, Levan Gachechiladze, winning about 25 percent of the vote. The Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe gave the election a mixed assessment, calling it a "triumphant step" for democracy in Georgia, but
pointing to an array of violations. The 40-year-old Saakashvili helped lead the 2003 protests that came to be known as the
Rose Revolution and catapulted him to the presidency. He has helped transform Georgia into a country with a growing
economy and aspirations of joining the European Union and NATO, and has cultivated close ties with the United States and
sought to decrease Russia's influence. But his popularity has diminished amid accusations of authoritarianism. U.S. President
George W. Bush called Saakashvili to congratulate him Monday and U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
told reporters in Washington Tuesday that allowing dissenting voices will be important to supporting Georgia's fledgling
democracy. Saakashvili is due to be inaugurated next week.
9. Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, congratulates Mikheil Saakashvili for his victory in the
presidential elections in Georgia
January 16, 2008; Source: Council of European Union
Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) spoke today on the phone to
Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, following the announcement of the results of the Georgian presidential elections by the Central
Election Commission. He conveyed to him the following message: "Allow me to congratulate you on your victory in the
presidential elections. This is the moment to bring the nation together. I welcome and strongly encourage the talks with the
opposition and civil society. It will be important to create the right conditions before the early parliamentary elections in the
spring. The European Union is ready to assist Georgia in moving forward towards the next elections."
10. Russia’s Lavrov to Attend Georgia Inauguration
January 16, 2008; Source: Reuters; www.civil.ge; Black Sea Press; Interpressnews
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to Tbilisi for Mikhail Saakashvili's inauguration as Georgian president,
his press department said on Wednesday, despite tense relations between the two countries. Ties between Russia and
former Soviet Georgia have deteriorated rapidly since a 2006 spy row, and many had expected the Kremlin to send a
lower ranking official to the ceremony planned for Sunday. "We confirm that Lavrov will lead Russia's delegation to
Georgia to attend the President's inauguration on January 20," a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Moscow cut
trade and transport links with Tbilisi in 2006, while Georgia accused it of trying to stir revolution, supporting its two rebel
regions and dropping missiles on its territory. Saakashvili rose to power in a peaceful 2003 revolution and has since
steered Georgia towards NATO and the West, irking former imperial master Russia. He called the snap election in
November after ordering police to crush street protests. Western observers said the election, which Saakashvili won with
53 percent of the vote, was flawed but competitive. But his opponents say Saakashvili fixed the election, and Russia has
called the vote marred by blatant use of pressure on the opposition.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2008-01-
16T132110Z_01_L16130164_RTRUKOC_0_US-RUSSIA-GEORGIA.xml
11. NATO Hopes to Promote Conflict Resolution in Black Sea Region
January 16, 2008; Source: The Messenger Online
Robert Simmons, NATO‘s Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, hopes the alliance can promote
peace in the Black Sea region, he said in an address to an international conference, ―Enlarged Black Sea Region: Prospects
of International and Regional Security.‖ ―NATO can play a significant role in establishment of stability in the region,‖ Simmons
said. The two-day conference began on January 14 in Yerevan and is supported by NATO, the OSCE, the Association of the
Graduates of Yerevan State University and the Dutch Embassy.
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1525_january_16_2008/1525_news_in_brief.html
12. Bakradze: Government in Talks with Sokhumi
January 16, 2008; Source: The Messenger Online; Black Sea Press
The government is conducting confidential negotiations with Sokhumi on a range of issues, State Minister for Conflicts
Resolution David Bakradze told journalists. ―Even before the presidential election we had set up bilateral talks on a number of
issues…I am ready to continue this contact,‖ Bakradze said. De facto Abkhaz president Sergey Bagapsh recently ruled out the
possibility of a dialogue with Mikheil Saakashvili, who was officially confirmed to be the winner of the January 5 presidential
election by the Central Election Commission.
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1525_january_16_2008/1525_news_in_brief.htm
13. Saakashvili Meets Human Rights Ombudsman
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January 16, 2008; Source: The Messenger Online
President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili said he is ready for further dialogue after meeting yesterday with Human Rights
Ombudsman Sozar Subari, who has been a fierce critic of many recent government actions. ―We discussed making the state
less involved in politics, the rights of businesses and the possibility of using professionals from the opposition for state posts,‖
Saakashvili told journalists after the meeting. Pledging to work both with Subari and other public representatives, Saakashvili
said he is open to political dialogue and criticism. Subari told reporters he was pleased with the conversation, and hopes for
dialogue to continue. ―It‘s important that politics works in favor of the dignity of the people,‖ Subari said. But Davit Zurabishvili,
a member of the nine-party opposition coalition, told reporters yesterday that the opposition is not willing to take Saakashvili‘s
promises of dialogue and compromise at face value. ―It‘s difficult to trust his word alone, we‘ll see soon,‖ he told journalists
after the meeting. The meeting between Subari and Saakashvili came a day after the ombudsman released an open letter to
the president-elect. In the January 14 letter, which was widely reported by the Georgian media, Subari begins by
congratulating Saakashvili on his reelection before launching into an account of human rights abuses by his government. ―You
have repeatedly mentioned that the human rights ombudsman does not have a positive attitude towards [the government],‖
Subari said in the letter. ―I assure you that is not true, but we cannot promise we would have a positive attitude towards human
rights violations.‖ Addressing the violent dispersal of peaceful anti-government demonstrators on November 7, Subari
mentions the riot police attack on him, claiming that ―the order to [beat me] came from the government.‖ The letter condemns a
―state elite‖ which uses violence and exploits its power in a roughshod attempt at building a strong state. ―Whoever does not
agree with [the elite] is named an enemy of the state,‖ the letter continues.―Officials played games and competed with each
other to make people‘s lives harder. One poured out wine, the second destroyed garages, the third confiscated land and
houses, and a fourth closed down businesses.‖ While welcoming Saakashvili‘s reelection pledge to make the staffing of his
government more inclusive, the letter advised him to leave out people accused of violating human rights. Subari also warned
about a creeping ―syndrome of fear in society.‖ ―It will be hard for foreign observers to see, and I would not be able to prove
with documentary evidence, how people are afraid to express their opinions in everyday life,‖ he wrote. Subari has said that
while the ruling party‘s abuse of administrative resources put the broader fairness of the January 5 presidential election into
question, the actual voting was credible. ―This election was much better than what we‘re used to,‖ Subari told Rustavi 2 the
day after the election.
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1525_january_16_2008/1525_subari.html
14. No Clarity About Talks
January 16, 2008; Source: www.civil.ge
Only some aspects of talks between the opposition and the authorities were revealed on January 16, but details still remains
sketchy. Opposition is pushing for having equal levers over election administration and judiciary, MP Zviad Dzidziguri of the
Conservative Party, part of the nine-party opposition coalition, said on January 16. He said that the run-off would be pointless
if television, Central Election Commission (CEC) and the judiciary remained biased in favor of the authorities. He also added
that these issues had been raised during a dialogue with the authorities. ―We have already achieved a success regarding the
Georgian Public Broadcaster,‖ Dzidziguri said in comments aired by the Mze TV. ―Of course, we will have similar demands
regarding the Central Election Commission and the judiciary – these are the main issues we need to secure ahead of the
second round of presidential election.‖ MP Dzidziguri said that the opposition should have equal representation in the CEC.
The opposition currently has six members in the main election body, while remaining seats are occupied by the pro-
governmental members. He also pointed out the opposition was also pushing for reshuffle of the Justice Council, a body in
charge of overseeing the judicial system‘s performance. His colleague from the same party, MP Kakha Kukava, meanwhile,
said on January 16 that bringing criminal charges against Levan Tarkhnishvili, the chairman of CEC, who as he put it, ―stole
votes‖ in favor of Mikheil Saakashvili, was the opposition‘s yet another demand. MP Gia Tsagareishvili, a lawmaker from the
Movement for United Georgia, also part of the opposition coalition, said on January 16 that having levers over Chamber of
Control – the main state audit agency, was also discussed. Most of the politicians from the nine-party opposition coalition in
their public rhetoric maintain that holding of the run-off wherein Mikheil Saakashvili should face Levan Gachechiladze, remains
their major demand. But somewhat a pessimistic tone has also appeared in some of the comments made by some of the
opposition politicians about the prospects of holding the second round of election. Davit Zurabishvili, a lawmaker from the
Republican Party, part of the opposition coalition, told InterPressNews on January 16, that as far as the authorities were
against of the second round and against of even vote recount, the opposition would prepare for the parliamentary elections,
with making focus on ―the fact that Saakashvili is illegitimate president. Meanwhile, MP Levan Berdzenishvili, also from the
Republican Party, told Civil.Ge on January 16 that the process ongoing between the opposition and the authorities ―can not be
called negotiations in itself, because we are not going to make any compromise.‖ A similar sentiment was adhered by Levan
Gachechiladze, who said on January 15 that it was ―speaking‖ rather than ―negotiating‖ with the authorities. Officials,
meanwhile, refrain from making any comments about ongoing, what they call, dialogue with the opposition, saying that they
fear public scrutiny could scupper the process. Some clarity is expected to be added to ongoing process by the noon on
January 17 when the nine-party opposition coalition plans a news conference.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/detail.php?id=16920
15. Opposition Claim Victory in Reform of Public Broadcaster’s Management
January 16, 2008; Source: The Messenger Online
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The state-owned public broadcaster is having its management overhauled to include political representation, the first
significant compromise to come out of negotiations between the government and the opposition since the January 5
presidential election. ―The public broadcaster is ours now!‖ opposition coalition leader Levan Gachechiladze declared at a
thousands-strong rally on the steps of the broadcaster‘s building. ―The public broadcaster is in the hands of the people, and we
are able to tell the people the truth through the television.‖ The opposition is protesting the reelection of Mikheil Saakashvili in
what they say was a rigged election. The changes to the public broadcaster come after previously unannounced negotiations
between acting president Nino Burjanadze and opposition leaders. Before the rally yesterday, Burjanadze told journalists the
state would put political representatives from both the opposition and the government on the broadcaster‘s board of
supervisors. ―This will make it easier to reach consensus,‖ Burjanadze said, adding that the public broadcaster‘s staff have
been doing a professional job and would not be dismissed. The opposition have accused the public broadcaster of being
biased in favor of president-elect Mikheil Saakashvili. An OSCE media monitoring report agreed that most Georgian television
networks, including the public broadcaster, were unbalanced in their coverage and policies during the presidential campaign.
Burjanadze has said more issues are under negotiation, but neither she nor opposition leaders would offer further details.
Political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze says the compromise on the public broadcaster was a good move toward resolving the
political standoff in Georgia. ―The public broadcaster was always under the government‘ s influence…. But now the
government sees they don‘t have enough power to try and fully control the broadcaster. And I think this is a very serious step
for democracy,‖ he said. Opposition leaders were far from satisfied, however. Coalition member Koba Davitashvili told the rally
yesterday they will continue to fight for changes in the Central Election Commission and the nation‘s courts. The next protest,
he said, would be in front of a court. The opposition has not decided on a day or time for the rally. Ex-Imedi TV anchor Giorgi
Targamadze, who the night before had announced he is forming a new political party, joined the opposition campaigners to
loud applause from the crowd. ―I came here to fight alongside you,‖ he told demonstrators. ―Anyone who goes against their
own people always loses.‖ Protestors, whose ranks were somewhat smaller than a January 13 rally in central Tbilisi, seemed
determined to continue with the demonstrations. ―They rigged the vote, they all lie,‖ Marina Jangulashvili said of the
government. ―I don‘t want Saakashvili to be our president. Our rights are not being upheld.‖ Some protestors spoke of
Burjanadze, the acting president leading negotiations with the opposition, as a trusted and moderating force. ―Even a child
knows the elections were rigged,‖ said Manana Sanikidze. ―When I was in front of parliament during the Rose Revolution,
someone told Nino Burjanadze, ‗Nino, I am standing next to you,‘ and Nino answered, ‗You are standing with all of Georgia.‘
Now I am asking Burjanadze to stand next to her people as she did before. We respect her and don‘t want to see her with
[Giga] Bokeria, [Kakha] Bendukidze, and [Maia] Nadiradze [all unpopular ruling party figures].‖ Opposition leaders, playing up
the recent New Year‘s amnesty of prisoners and the public broadcaster decision as victories against the government, repeated
vows to press forward for a redo of the presidential election. ―No steps back,‖ coalition member Gia Tortladze told the
Messsenger. ―We will not stop our protests, and if Saakashvili decides to hold his inauguration on January 20 [as planned] we
will answer him with a massive rally.‖
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1525_january_16_2008/1525_opposition.html
16. Gachechiladze on Speaking with Authorities
January 16, 2008; Source: www.civil.ge
A televised interview with Levan Gachechiladze, who ran for the presidency, has failed to shed much light on talks
underway between the opposition and the authorities. Speaking live on the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) on January
15, he preferred to say he was ―speaking‖ rather than ―negotiating‖ with the authorities - apparently trying to
quell speculation that the opposition was backing down on its demand for a run-off in exchange for various compromises
from the authorities. Although he said that ―the demand for a run-off and recount remains in force,‖ his rhetoric was
significantly toned down. He alluded to possible compromise, saying ―what we need is free and fair elections and whether it
is parliamentary elections or a second round - for me it is very important to have a second round – the election should be
free and fair.‖ On the forthcoming parliamentary elections, he said: ―My wish is to see a single, united strong opposition
coalition, with [along with the nine-party coalition], New Rights, Labor Party and others in it, ahead of parliamentary
elections.‖ Acting President Nino Burjanadze said on January 15 that talks were underway with the opposition on eight
issues and on one of them an agreement had already been reached – to set up a new GPB board of trustees. Both the
opposition and the authorities have refused to reveal any other details, with the other seven issues remaining unnamed.
Both sides fear public scrutiny could scupper the talks. There have, however, been reports that reform of the Central
Election Commission (CEC) and the judiciary are on the cards. Gachechiladze appealed for patience, but added a note of
defiance, obviously aimed at calming fears of a sell-out among opposition supporters. ―What I can say now," he said, "is
that there will be no compromise on our part; in terms of results, let‘s see what will come tomorrow or the day after
tomorrow.‖ He ruled out accepting a government position from Saakashvili, whom he refused to recognize as the legally
elected president. ―Making deals on government positions is not going to happen. I am one of those who do not recognize
[Saakashvili as President],‖ he said. Gachechiladze also revealed that ―a huge [opposition] protest rally‖ would be held on
January 20 to coincide with Saakashvili‘s inauguration. ―The venue will be announced later,‖ he added. Gachechiladze met
with Saakashvili on January 9. He said no further meeting had taken place.
http://www.civil.ge/eng_/article.php?id=16911
17. Court Refuses to Annul Vote Tally
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January 16, 2008; Source: www.civil.ge
Tbilisi City Court rejected on January 16 an appeal to invalidate the Central Election Commission‘s final vote tally of the
January 5 presidential election. Four separate appeals were lodged by Freedom Party (filed on behalf of the nine -party
opposition coalition), the Labor Party, the Badri Patarkatsishvili campaign office and the Professional Teachers‘ Union. The
court considered all four appeals together, saying they had no merit. On January 13 the Central Election Commission
(CEC) approved the final vote tally of the January 5 presidential election, confirming Mikheil Saakashvili‘s re-election with
53.47% of the vote. The opposition, however, claims that the authorities manipulated election results to secure
Saakashvili‘s outright victory in the first round and demand a run-off between Saakashvili and Levan Gachechiladze.
http://www.civil.ge/eng_/article.php?id=16914
18. No Downtown Rallies – Municipality Tells Opposition
January 16, 2008; Source: www.civil.ge
The nine-party opposition coalition will not be able to hold a demonstration in a period between January 19 and January 21,
the Tbilisi city municipality said in a statement on Wednesday. The opposition coalition, backing Levan Gachechiladze‘s
presidential bid, notified in advance the Tbilisi Mayor‘s Office about its plans to hold a rally on the Rose Square (formerly
Republic Square), followed by a march through the capital‘s main thoroughfare Rustaveli Avenue in direction of the
Freedom Square on January 19-21. The capital city‘s municipality, however, said in a response: ―The venue of the
ceremony of presidential inauguration [on Rustaveli Avenue outside the Parliament] coincides with the route of your
demonstration. Thus, the local self-government body cannot create necessary conditions for holding your demonstration.‖ It
also said that preparations for the inauguration were already underway so the rally was not possible to hold even before
January 20, when the inauguration is planned. The municipality also pointed out that it would be impossible to hold the rally
on the Rose Square as well, because the area would be occupied on the inauguration day by soldiers and military
equipment that will parade on the Rustaveli Avenue on the inauguration day. Another favorite venue for protest rallies in
Tbilisi, Rike – an open area few kilometers away from the parliament, will also be ruled out, because, according to the
municipality, the area will serve for post-parade gathering place for the military equipment after the inauguration.
http://www.civil.ge/eng_/article.php?id=16919
19. Imedi Anchor to Establish New Political Party
January 16, 2008; Source: The Messenger Online
Giorgi Targamadze, a prominent Imedi TV journalist who left the station over the weekend, announced plans to establish a
new political party on January 14. ―This party will consist of my friends and allies who share the same ideas,‖ Targamadze said
on the Rustavi 2 talk show ―Primetime.‖ While he did not reveal who else would be involved or any specific policies the party
would adopt, he said it would be rooted in ―Christian Democratic ideology.‖ Imedi TV temporarily suspended broadcasts on
December 26, its employees citing a desire to ―to distance ourselves from dirty political games,‖ after the government
produced tapes it claims show Badri Patarkatsishvili—the station‘s founder and co-owner—planning a coup in the run up to the
presidential election. In December, Targamadze denied considering a political career; however after leaving Imedi on January
12 he said reports that he would enter politics were ―close to the truth.‖ Both Targamadze and opposition figures have
dismissed speculation that his new party would be linked to the nine-party opposition coalition, or to Patarkatsishvili, who ran
for president in the recent election. New Rights representative Davit Saganelidze denied his party had entered consultations
with Targamadze. ―I have heard reports that Targamadze was set to join our party, but these are incorrect. We have not
discussed this,‖ he said yesterday. Davit Shukakidze, a representative of Patarkatsishvili‘s campaign team, said they do not
intend to hold talks with Targamadze, and criticized his decision to enter politics. ―I think he was a very good journalist who did
his job well. He was in politics once, and did not find his place there, so I don‘t think this is a very smart move on his part,‖
Shukakidze said. Despite being a former parliamentary leader for ousted Adjara dictator Aslan Abashidze‘s Revival party,
Targamadze said he was not technically making a political comeback, as he never espoused his own politics when he worked
for Abashidze. ―I see myself as entering politics for the first time now because during the period in my life when I was in
politics and entered parliament with Revival, that was not, if you will, my politics,‖ he said. On January 15, the former Imedi
anchor joined opposition figures at a protest outside the state-owned public broadcaster. ―I stand with the Georgian nation, this
is our victory, our people‘s victory,‖ he said after the government acquiesced to opposition demands to reform the broadcaster.
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1525_january_16_2008/1525_targamadze.html
20. Return of Georgian Products to Russian Market Disscussed with Russian Ambassador to Georgia
January 16, 2008; Source: Prime News; www.civil.ge
Vyacheslav Kovalenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Georgia, was invited to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia on Wednesday to meet Grigol Katamadze, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, with a
7
view to facilitating return of Georgian products to the Russian market. Prime-News was told at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Georgia that the meeting was also attended by Bakur Kvezereli, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Levan Koberidze, President of
the Georgian Association of Winemakers, Archil Gegenava, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Teliani Valley
Company, and Shalva Khetsuriani, President of the Georgian Sommelier Association. Vyacheslav Kovalenko was handed a
letter addressed to Gennady Onischenko, Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia, in which the Georgian side expresses its
readiness to call a competent commission, which will explore on the ground conditions for the production of Georgian wine and
mineral waters and all related issues. The Georgian side reaffirmed its readiness to cooperate for the return of Georgian
products to the Russian market, including agricultural and other types of products. Mr. Kovalenko asserted his determination
to cooperate and do all in his power to contribute to activation of this process.
21. Ambassador Talks Georgian Politics
January 16, 2008; Source: Yale Daily News
By Kaitlin Paulson
Georgia may be roughly the size of West Virginia, but the eastern European nation has continent-sized aspirations, Irakli
Alasania, the Georgian ambassador to the United Nations, told an audience of about 20 at a Saybrook College Master‘s Tea
on Tuesday. After a decade-and-a-half of chaos and instability following its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union
in 1991, the Republic of Georgia is looking to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and establish its legitimacy in the
eyes of the rest of the world — a difficult but achievable task, Alasania said. ―It‘s the aspiration of the whole nation,‖ he said.
The United States was the first nation to respond to Georgia‘s call for help in building a functioning infrastructure following
Georgian independence, Alasania said. After a bloodless revolution in 2003 ushered in a new government, the country‘s
economy has picked up and national leaders have led an effort to integrate Georgia into the international community of states.
―Salaries were raised, there was a crackdown on corruption, and new, young people were brought into the government,‖
Alasania said of the change of control five years ago. On Jan. 5, Georgia held presidential elections, in which incumbent
Mikhail Saakashvili was re-elected to a second term. In the same election, Georgians also voted in support of their country‘s
joining NATO. But Alasania said he thinks there are greater difficulties in being allowed into the international community than
many outsiders might realize. As an example, he cited the inter-ethnic violence that consumed Georgia in the early 1990s,
which resulted in the removal of more than 250,000 Georgians from their homes in the areas of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
to other areas of Georgia. More than 100,000 Georgians moved out of the country to places such as the United States as a
result of the violence, he said. Russia‘s political elite aided the separatists in these areas, with the ultimate goal of keeping
Georgia from entering the international sphere, Alasania said. If Georgia succeeds in joining NATO and the European Union,
he said, it will provide a model for other countries still grappling with their post-Soviet legacy. In response to a question about
Georgians‘ attitude toward the war in Iraq, Alasania said there is widespread support for the war in Georgia because the
country wants to lend a hand to the United States as a gesture of gratitude for America‘s help following the crumbling of the
Soviet Union. Georgia now has the third-highest number of soldiers on the ground in Iraq, he said. Juli Huang ‘08, who spent
her winter break working in Georgia for the student-run non-governmental organization AIESEC, which facilitates international
cooperation, said she was excited upon returning to campus to discover that Alasania was scheduled to speak. ―I was
pleasantly surprised by the talk,‖ Huang said. ―I have been following the elections closely and talking to students there. It was
interesting to learn about the government perspective.‖ Other students said Alasania‘s talk broadened their knowledge of a
topic to which they had previously had little exposure. ―I did a lot of Model UN in high school, and I was Georgia,‖ Clara Lucio
‘11 said. ―It is different to read about it and hearing what the ambassador has to say.‖
http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/22954
22. Georgia: Focus of Political Turmoil Shifting To Parliamentary Vote
January 16, 2008; Source: RFE/RL
By Salome Asatiani
It may be too much to expect Georgia's newly energized opposition to immediately strike a deal on cooperating with
its rivals in Mikheil Saakashvili's government. But at the very least, the two sides are finally talking.
Formally, the opposition is continuing to protest irregularities in the country's January 5 presidential vote. Official results
handed Saakashvili a narrow first-round victory of 53 percent. "[Our fight is contained] within the framework of the
constitution," says united opposition candidate Levan Gachechiladze, who came in second in the race with 25 percent of the
vote. "We won't let all of this develop into a civic confrontation. But the protests and the nonrecognition of this government will
continue." Informally, however, it's clear that a recount is now highly unlikely. Behind the scenes, negotiations have turned to
issues that may serve the opposition well as it seeks to level the playing field ahead of the next major contest -- parliamentary
elections in the spring.
Media Access
Opposition leaders appeared to score their first major victory on January 15, gaining the right to participate in forming a new
board of trustees at Georgia's public broadcaster. Election observers and opposition candidates alike had complained that
8
Saakashvili had received the lion's share of media coverage ahead of the vote. With a new, more diverse oversight at the
country's main broadcaster, that is likely to change. The opposition has hailed the decision and vowed to push for further such
agreements. Possible changes include revisions of how the Central Election Commission is staffed. Government
representatives, meanwhile, reject the opposition's characterization of such deals as "concessions," saying open political
dialogue is the main priority. "Dialogue, in any form, means strength," says Pavle Kublashvili, an influential lawmaker from
Saakashvili's National Movement party. "If a political team demonstrates readiness for dialogue in relation to any process, I
would say this shows the team's political maturity."
Tbilisi's New Tone
Cooperation and dialogue is the new central message in the Saakashvili camp, as the once-invincible president gingerly
approaches his second term in office. Western diplomats have also dedicated energy to nudging the famously single-minded
leader toward the negotiating table. For opposition coalition member Tina Khidasheli, the West has already failed Georgia
once by hastily endorsing Saakashvili's win before rigging claims had time to be investigated. "It is very regrettable that in this
particular case -- and not, I hope, in the long term -- the statements by diplomatic bodies in Georgia do not have any
credibility," she says. "They rushed in and started congratulating Saakashvili with victory very prematurely." The opposition
has held meetings with U.S. and European Union officials in a futile attempt to demand a recount. But the meetings are also
an opportunity for Western officials to better acquaint themselves with what may prove a major new force to be reckoned with
in Georgian politics. Analyst Bakur Kvashilava says if the opposition secures a parliamentary majority this spring, it will have
great historical significance for Georgia's political development. "Georgia's political culture will be radically altered," he says.
"For the very first time, the executive and legislative branches would really be independent from each other, and the country
would actually be able to put a system of checks and balances to work."
Friend Of The Opposition?
Another interested party is Georgia's neighbor to the north. Moscow has made no secret of its hostility toward Saakashvili and
his pro-Western aims; the Georgian president's relatively poor finish in the recent elections have no doubt been met with
satisfaction in the Kremlin. Russia, like the West, may be looking to find allies within the opposition to strengthen its influence
in the Georgia. The degree of Russian involvement in the current negotiations remains, largely, a subject of speculation.
Kvashilava, however, says it would be surprising to find members of the opposition willing to openly strike a deal with Moscow.
"I think Russia is in a beneficial position right now, because for a foreign player like Russia, a weaker Georgian government
automatically means a weaker country. This is always the case," he says. "But I would say that in Georgia, any political force
which would say that alignment with Russia is better than alignment with the West will not be able to support this argument in
front of its electorate. It's impossible to support this point; Russia itself prevents this from being possible. But this, of course,
does not exclude the possibility that Russia is benefiting from this confrontation [in Georgia]."
Changing Alliances
Several factors remain to be clarified in the months ahead of Georgia's parliamentary vote. One is the fate of Saakashvili's
National Movement party. Some observers have speculated that the president -- who has already promised a cabinet shake-
up -- will subject his party to a spring cleaning as well, inviting in new personalities and marginalizing those whose popularity is
on the wane. The second, and perhaps more important, question is whether the opposition -- which currently groups a wide
spectrum of political programs and ideologies -- will succeed in remaining a unified coalition, or will split up to run on different
party lists. Current coalition leaders, including Gachechiladze, have refused to discuss future plans, saying that changes to the
overall election environment are of greater importance. "It's now very important for the country to develop in a way that will
make it possible to hold parliamentary elections in a normal environment," he says. "Time will tell if this is happening." Some
analysts, Kvashilava among them, say that while Gachechiladze may have appealed to some segments of the public with his
emphasis on tradition, a plainspoken style, and a certain masculine bravado, these features may render him unsuitable for
leading a parliamentary faction.
Uneasy Allies
The united opposition coalition, in its current form, ranges from the veteran Republican Party, which includes Soviet-era
dissidents and other prominent pro-democracy advocates, to the populist and nationalist Conservative and People's parties.It
also rests on the strength of several individual players with varying degrees of popularity and influence -- a group that includes
not only Gachechiladze, but also former Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili and Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, the son of the
country's first post-Soviet president, who until recently was a political unknown in Georgia. Analyst Kvashilava predicts the
opposition will remain united until the parliamentary elections, but may disperse into separate factions once the ballot is over.
Despite the opposition's current influence, Kvashilava says, it's premature to look at the group as a significant political bloc --
although the opportunity is definitely there. "The majority of votes won by the opposition weren't because of their platforms.
These votes were cast as an expression of the public's protest against the government," he says. "I wouldn't say the
opposition has already formed into a weighty political force. But they certainly can become such force, if they succeed in
channeling the mass turmoil into stable support among the electorate." Plans, meanwhile, are under way for Saakashvili's
second-term inauguration, due to be held in the historic city of Kutaisi on January 20. The opposition, hoping to drain the
ceremony of at least some of its pomp, has vowed to stage protest demonstrations the same day.
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/1/cade565b-58bd-40ab-aad8-e178d5304980.html
23. Georgia’s Presidential Election: International Recognition Butresses Internal Conflicts
January 16, 2008; Source: Eurasia Daily Monitor – The Jamestown Foundation, Volume 5, Issue 8
9
By Vladimir Socor
On January 14 U.S. President George W. Bush telephoned his congratulations to the reelected president of Georgia, Mikheil
Saakashvili. Summarizing Bush‘s position and the two presidents‘ conversation, U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen
Hadley told the press aboard Air Force One that Saakashvili had ―clearly won more than 50%‖ of the votes [officially 53.5%];
that international as well as Georgian authorities have validated the outcome; and that Saakashvili will ―obviously come to
Washington as the new president of Georgia‖ (White House readout, Reuters, January 14). Bush had waited for Georgia‘s
Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to announce the final returns (see EDM, January 14) and called Saakashvili from Dubai
during Bush‘s visit to the Middle East. On the same day, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack congratulated
Saakashvili and the voters of Georgia on the holding of this election, citing international observers‘ overall positive assessment
along with remaining challenges (State Department release, January 14). In Tbilisi, U.S. ambassador John Tefft confirmed that
a U.S. delegation would attend Saakashvili‘s second-term inauguration. Tefft also reaffirmed the international observers‘
conclusion that no major violations had occurred that would have changed the election‘s outcome. He told opposition leaders
that he had visited the CEC four times and watched the processing of protocols and vote-counting. The head of the European
Commission‘s Delegation to Georgia and Armenia (the Tbilisi-based permanent mission of the European Union), Per Eklund,
also confirmed that the EU would attend the inauguration, but seemed to strike a noncommittal position on the election itself:
The opposition has grievances, the government should look into them, and the EU will listen but not judge, he said according
to local media. This stance seems in tune with the top Brussels authorities‘ own aloof stance thus far. The EU has remained
largely silent at the public level during these events in Georgia (see EDM, January 9). Immediately upon the Georgian CEC‘s
final announcement, leaders of the three Baltic states as well as Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced their
intention to attend Saakashvili‘s second-term inauguration (BNS, UNIAN, January 14). Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
had visited with Saakashvili during the election campaign in Georgia. Western governments and international organizations
expect the reelected Saakashvili to defuse tensions through dialogue with the opposition, ahead of the April parliamentary
elections. Saakashvili and Parliament Chair Nino Burjanadze (acting head of state during the presidential election campaign)
have already begun reaching out to the opposition. The minimal goal is political stability and the holding of parliamentary
elections in April that would meet democratic standards. Actual political consensus with at least some opposition parties
seems out of reach at this stage, given those parties‘ irreconcilable attitude toward the presidential election. Saakashvili met
with the runner-up presidential contender, Levan Gachechiladze (26% of the votes cast), on January 7 to discuss a modus
vivendi. However, Gachechiladze turned down the overture, in accord with the leaders of nine groups that backed his
candidacy. On January 8, Gachechiladze led a group of opposition party leaders bursting into the CEC headquarters and
physically threatening to remove CEC president Levan Tarkhnishvili, in full view of the mass media, which the opposition
leaders had invited for this spectacle (see EDM, January 9). Thus far, opposition leaders insist that they would only negotiate
with the government about a runoff presidential election. On January 9 and 11, Saakashvili announced that government posts
could be offered to best-qualified candidates from outside the National Movement majority party. He indicated that such
appointments would not be offered on a party or political basis, but rather on an individual basis to competent specialists. With
this, Saakashvili is adhering to a campaign promise to broaden the government‘s recruitment pool. Seeking viable political
interlocutors within the opposition could be a follow-up step. However, this goal might prove out of reach in the tense aftermath
of the presidential election and an equally polarized run-up to the April parliamentary elections. For now at least, opposition
leaders refuse any such discussions or indeed to recognize Saakashvili‘s election as valid. Burjanadze has persistently
encouraged opposition leaders to enter into a dialogue with the governing majority in parliament and with the reelected
president. Thus she plays an integrating (as distinct from mediating) role in a polarized and volatile atmosphere. Burjanadze is
reminding opposition leaders that political decisions are not to be made in the streets and not by the number of demonstrators,
but by dialogue among parties within the framework of state institutions (Civil Georgia, January 14). That Georgian opposition
groups need such reminding reflects their deficit of political maturity and -- in the Georgia-specific context -- their deficit of
emotional maturity as well.
24. Post-Elcetion Emotions Run High Among Tbilisi Oppostion Leaders
January 16, 2008; Source: Eurasia Daily Monitor – The Jamestown Foundation, Volume 5, Issue 8
By Vladimir Socor
The U.S. and other international leaders‘ statements recognizing the Georgian election‘s validity come not a moment too soon.
Such recognition can at least to some extent dissuade Georgian opposition leaders from resorting to risky confrontation
tactics. Opposition leaders threaten to call continuous demonstrations demanding a recount or runoff and do not recognize the
president as legitimate. Their slogans are, ―no to injustice‖ and ―defense of our votes.‖ These goals are supposed to justify
unlawful, albeit peaceful, behavior. While disclaiming intentions to resort to violence and even deploring any possible
confrontation, opposition leaders nevertheless insist that confrontation is inevitable unless the government agrees to hold a
runoff between Saakashvili and the runner-up, Levan Gachechiladze. The two received 53.5% and 26%, respectively, of the
votes cast, according to CEC‘s officially validated final tabulation (the remaining votes were divided among five other
candidates). Opposition leaders variously claim to have been defrauded of anywhere between 200,000 and 400,000 votes,
depending on the speaker. They variously claim that Gachechiladze won the election outright or that he held Saakashvili
below 50%, thus earning a title to a runoff. They variously demand a recount or a runoff. And they intend to pursue their claims
in courts, but have not submitted necessary materials thus far. For now, opposition leaders are staking out irreconcilable
positions and issuing inflammatory statements. They regularly do so on television channels that they otherwise accuse of
restricting the opposition‘s access. Thus, Gachechiladze claims, ―I am the person who won the first place and defeated
10
Saakashvili, and a legal document [CEC protocol] does not matter much to me. I have written that document in my mind and
on my responsibility before the public and the nation‖ (Rustavi-2 TV, January 10). Furthermore, he warns, ―The injustice is a
major source of confrontation, and Georgia is currently on the verge of such civil confrontation, so injustice should be removed
…. And a runoff is the only way out (Rustavi-2 TV, January 11). ―Our fight will continue and we will not allow Saakashvili to
steal our votes,‖ Gachechiladze told the crowd at the January 13 rally. He warned the West generally, ―Do not make the
Georgian people hate you because of your support for Saakashvili‖ (Civil Georgia, January 13, 14). Conservative Party
leaders speak in a similar vein. According to Zviad Dzidziguri, ―The United States and Europe are throwing a gauntlet to
Georgia by foisting Saakashvili on the country.‖ He asserts that Western election observers were ―lying‖ and that ―most of the
OSCE observers were drunk on election day.‖ From a live TV political talk show, Dzidziguri threatened the president of the
Coca Cola-Georgia company for having contributed to the Saakashvili electoral campaign: ―Temur Chkonia, don‘t you have
brains in your head ? Be afraid of us‖ (Civil Georgia, Interfax, January 13, 14). The other Conservative leader, Kakha Kukava,
declared after the opposition leaders‘ meeting with Western ambassadors, ―Saakashvili will never be a legitimate president, we
will defend our votes and never let him be inaugurated … He is Georgia‘s former president.‖ Kukava then told the January 13
rally, ―We are not relying on the courts [to modify the election results], this is just a formal procedure. We are counting on
street protests. Whether or not Saakashvili declares himself president, he won‘t be Georgia‘s president. He will only be
president of Marneuli [an Azeri-populated district that voted massively for Saakashvili]. We will declare general civil
disobedience…. We will not allow him to govern or to appoint ministers.‖ Kukava went on to declare in press interviews that
the international observers‘ assessment ―means nothing. The international community is malleable. They are congratulating
him [Saakashvili] now but might want to put him on trial later.‖ ―If the situation is stable, the international organizations will not
declare that the election was rigged. But if resistance is commensurate, then the international organizations‘ response will also
be commensurate‖ (Rustavi-2 TV, January 13; Prime News, Civil Georgia, January 11-14; Georgian Times, January 14). A
Republican Party leader, Tinatin Khidasheli, warns, ―Either Saakashvili will agree to a runoff, or he will not be recognized [by
the opposition].‖ ―The international community must choose to either support Saakashvili or support Georgia‖ (Resonansi, Civil
Georgia, January 14). Khidasheli and other Republican leaders had declared Saakashvili ―illegitimate‖ already in October,
when the opposition was demanding his removal outright, without a presidential election. (Saakashvili‘s November decision to
call a presidential election surprised and confused the opposition.) Other Republican leaders (they are Khidasheli‘s husband
and the two Berdzenishvili brothers) oscillate between radicalism and relative moderation. Georgia‘s Way party leader Salome
Zourabichvili, who is Gachechiladze‘s nominee for prime minister, declared at the January 13 rally on Rustaveli Avenue, ―He
[Saakashvili] won‘t rule the country! He won‘t be able to be inaugurated here !‖ Gia Tortladze, deputy head of the Movement
for United Georgia -- the party of fugitive ex-defense minister Irakli Okruashvili -- introduced Gachechiladze to the rally as ―the
de facto new president of Georgia‖ (Civil Georgia, January 13, 14). New Right and its leader Davit Gamkrelidze could be
deemed the only authentically conservative group in Georgia. Supportive of strictly constitutional processes and distrustful of
mass movements, Gamkrelidze opposed the 2003 Rose Revolution and did not join in 2007 the opposition coalition under the
firebrand Gachechiladze. Instead, Gamkrelidze ran separately for president and received 4% of the votes cast. Saakashvili‘s
victory has radicalized Gamkrelidze. He has thrown New Right‘s support to Gachechiladze and participates in protest rallies
despite his earlier abhorrence of such events. Gamkrelidze claims that Saakashvili has ―no legitimacy‖ and warns that U.S.
support for the reelected president would ―turn the Georgian people against the United States and against joining NATO‖
(Rustavi-2 TV, Civil Georgia, January 10, 13). In this highly charged atmosphere, an international consensus-breaking report
from the OSCE -- as hinted at again by German diplomat Dieter Boden in Tbilisi (Prime News, Rustavi-2 TV, January 11) --
would risk prolonging and even intensifying the political confrontation in Georgia.
25. Democratization Takes a Beating in 2007
January 16, 2008; Source: EurasiaNet
By Deirdre Tynan
A report released January 16 by the civil rights group Freedom House laments that global democratization is in retreat after
suffering "a notable setback" in 2007. The Freedom House survey ranked two Central Asian nations, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan, as among the "worst of the worst" when it comes to government repression of individual rights. It also lambasted
Russia for conducting "patently unfair" parliamentary elections, and for providing "political, moral and material support to
[Central Asian] authoritiarians." The title of the annual Freedom in the World survey, Freedom in Retreat: Is the Tide Turning?,
conveyed a strong sense of unease about the near-term future of civil society development in the world. "For the past few
years, and especially since Ukraine‘s 2004 Orange Revolution, a number of the world‘s most important autocracies have
engaged in what has been called a pushback against democracy promotion," the report asserted. "The pushback differs from
past strategies of repressive regimes in that it relies on the use of legal restrictions, tax investigations, bureaucratic regulations
and the like to neutralize opposition political parties and civil society organizations that seek political change." The report,
which has been published annually since 1972, rates countries as ‗free,‘ ‗partly free,‘ and ‗not free.‘ In Central Asia, only
Kyrgyzstan is rated as ‗partly free.‘ Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are rated as "not free." As for the
three Caucasus states, Georgia and Armenia were ranked as "partly free," and Azerbaijan was rated as "not free." Overall, of
the 193 countries surveyed, 90 were deemed "free," 60 were judged "partly free" and 43 received the "not free" designation.
The Freedom House survey found "evidence of declines in freedom" in 38 countries, while "only 10 showed positive shifts." In
all, eight countries were labeled "worst of the worst." Joining Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were two perennial rogue states –
North Korea and Libya – along with Burma, Cuba, Somalia and Sudan. The report by the New York-based organization
warned of a "resurgence of pragmatic, market-oriented, or energy-rich dictatorships," a reference to countries like Russia,
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. "Strengthened by petroleum-based riches or capital amassed through long-term
trade surpluses, these autocracies are unapologetic and increasingly assertive, at home and abroad, in declaring that the
11
paradigm of rights-based governance, as the international community has long understood it, is not relevant for the 21st
century," the report added. Russia is the font of much mischief in Central Asia, working actively to undermine the development
of civil society in the region, the report indicated. "In Kyrgyzstan, Russia has used its influence to obstruct political reforms in
the wake of the country‘s 2005 political opening, which was unique in Central Asia," the report stated. At home, Russian
President Vladimir Putin‘s brand of "managed democracy" is, in reality, sham democracy, the Freedom House report
suggested, pointing to the country‘s recent parliamentary elections. "The Putin regime went out of its way to force parties and
candidates with strong democratic credentials off the parliamentary ballot," it said. Jennifer Windsor, executive director of
Freedom House, said that the world‘s leading democracies were not doing enough to support civil society development around
the globe. "Democratic governments have not worked together effectively to counter these [negative] trends," Windsor said in
a written statement. "Those who support freedom – both governments as well as non-governmental actors – must get serious
and redouble their efforts to support the frontline defenders of democracy who are under duress." The report expressed
particular disappointment with President Mikheil Saakashvili‘s administration in Georgia, saying the country‘s democratization
image "was sullied" by the imposition of a state of emergency and a violent police crackdown on demonstrators." "Georgia saw
both its political rights and its civil liberties ratings decline due to the imposition of a state of emergency following
antigovernment demonstrations in November, restrictions on press freedom, and a systematic campaign to marginalize the
political opposition," the report said. Although painting a bleak picture for 2008, Freedom House concluded on an upbeat note.
"We should remember that freedom endured dark days during the time of [Nelson] Mandela [in South Africa] and [Lech]
Walesa [in Poland], much darker than is the case today," the report said. "The solidarity of democrats from around the world is
essential if the broader momentum toward freedom is to be regained," the report said.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav011608a.shtml
26. Georgia to push through reforms despite turmoil
January 15, 2008; Source: Financial Times
By Stefan Wagstyl
Georgia plans to press ahead with market-oriented reforms despite the recent challenges to president Mikheil Saakashvili‘s
authority, according to prime minister Lado Gurgenidze. But the government will fulfil pledges to increase social spending,
including cash for education, healthcare and welfare payments, to alleviate widespread poverty, he said in an FT interview.
―The social spending is buying time for us to continue doing radical liberal things.‖ Mr Gurgenidze insisted the government
remained committed to the reforms Mr Saakashvili launched after taking power in 2003 and he rejected suggestions that the
political turmoil might prompt a slow down. Public anger about the failure of Mr Saakashvili‘s reforms to reach the poor helped
fuel protests that led to demonstrations last November and early presidential elections this month. Mr Saakashvili won re-
election but opposition party leaders are disputing the result in court and promise to challenge the president again in
parliamentary elections in the spring. Mr Gurgenidze said social spending would increase its 2008 budget share from 29 per
cent last year to 32 per cent – a $250m boost. He hoped the planned new liberal reforms would be also be implemented
quickly, – ―in the next six weeks.‖ The package includes a law committing governments to run fiscal surpluses and making it
illegal for the central bank to set annual inflation targets above 10 per cent. The government also plans to establish two
sovereign wealth funds to manage the proceeds of the planned budget surpluses (including 2008‘s) and of privatization. Mr
Gurgenidze bemoaned the fact that the political upheavals had reduced likely Gross Domestic Product growth for 2008 from
11 per cent to 6 per cent. He accused what he called Tbilisi‘s ―chattering classes‖ – who supported the opposition in large
numbers – of ―infantile‖ behaviour in discussing political options, such as the possible restoration of the monarchy, with no
thought for the economic consequences. ―It‘s okay to discuss things long-term. But if you create a climate of uncertainty,
investments stop and growth stops…The chattering classes in Georgia are infantile and don‘t see the costs.‖
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