Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI1450
2007-06-15 12:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:
MOJ TAKES OVER IMPLEMENTATION OF SOUTH OSSETIAN
how-toVZCZCXRO6613 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHSI #1450 1661250 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 151250Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6685 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS TBILISI 001450
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT. FOR EUR/CARC, DRL, PRM (NANCY IRIS)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF GG
SUBJECT: MOJ TAKES OVER IMPLEMENTATION OF SOUTH OSSETIAN
RESTITUTION LAW
REF: TBILISI 826
UNCLAS TBILISI 001450
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT. FOR EUR/CARC, DRL, PRM (NANCY IRIS)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF GG
SUBJECT: MOJ TAKES OVER IMPLEMENTATION OF SOUTH OSSETIAN
RESTITUTION LAW
REF: TBILISI 826
1. This cable contains an action request. Please see
paragraph 5.
2. In late May, Minister of Justice Gia Kavtaradze and
influential majoritarian Parliamentarian Giga Bokeria assumed
responsibility for implementing the South Ossetian
Restitution Law, replacing State Minister for Civil
Integration Zinaida Bestaeva following her unsuccessful
attempts to establish a Restitution Commission. At a May 28
meeting with representatives from the European Commission,
Council of Europe, OSCE, UNHCR, and the U.S. Embassy, both
Kavtaradze and Bokeria stressed the need for the
international community to nominate three international
experts for the Restitution Commission, the essential first
step in establishing the Commission and implementing the
Restitution Law (reftel).
3. During the meeting, the Council of Europe informed the
group that it had identified an expert for nomination, but
said they would withhold the nomination until two other
experts could be found. UNHCR and OSCE recused themselves
from nominating an expert, saying that it would be outside
their mandate, but volunteered to provide the names and CV's
of experts for other international organizations to nominate.
Representatives from the EC and U.S. Embassy said they may
be able to nominate an expert, but would need to clarify any
legal issues before committing. Bokeria said that Prime
Minister Noghaideli has allocated 100,000 Georgian lari (USD
59,500) toward the initial start-up costs of the Commission,
but noted that the Georgian government expected the bulk of
the funding for the Commission's work and the cost of
restitution claims to come from international donors.
4. Comment: The replacement of Bestaeva by Kavtaradze and
Bokeria is a good move by the Georgian government, placing
most of the responsibility for implementing the law with the
Ministry of Justice, where it belongs. According to the
Restitution Law, the Commission should have been formed by
the end of May, five months from the date the Law went into
force. The fact that Bestaeva was replaced by two other
government officials (one of whom is an influential
parliamentarian and a key advisor to the President) for her
failure to meet this deadline indicates that the Georgian
government is serious in its commitment to implement the law
and provide restitution to those displaced by the
Georgian-Ossetian conflict. End Comment.
5. Action Request: Post requests Department guidance on the
legality of Post nominating an independent international
expert to the Commission.
TEFFT
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT. FOR EUR/CARC, DRL, PRM (NANCY IRIS)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF GG
SUBJECT: MOJ TAKES OVER IMPLEMENTATION OF SOUTH OSSETIAN
RESTITUTION LAW
REF: TBILISI 826
1. This cable contains an action request. Please see
paragraph 5.
2. In late May, Minister of Justice Gia Kavtaradze and
influential majoritarian Parliamentarian Giga Bokeria assumed
responsibility for implementing the South Ossetian
Restitution Law, replacing State Minister for Civil
Integration Zinaida Bestaeva following her unsuccessful
attempts to establish a Restitution Commission. At a May 28
meeting with representatives from the European Commission,
Council of Europe, OSCE, UNHCR, and the U.S. Embassy, both
Kavtaradze and Bokeria stressed the need for the
international community to nominate three international
experts for the Restitution Commission, the essential first
step in establishing the Commission and implementing the
Restitution Law (reftel).
3. During the meeting, the Council of Europe informed the
group that it had identified an expert for nomination, but
said they would withhold the nomination until two other
experts could be found. UNHCR and OSCE recused themselves
from nominating an expert, saying that it would be outside
their mandate, but volunteered to provide the names and CV's
of experts for other international organizations to nominate.
Representatives from the EC and U.S. Embassy said they may
be able to nominate an expert, but would need to clarify any
legal issues before committing. Bokeria said that Prime
Minister Noghaideli has allocated 100,000 Georgian lari (USD
59,500) toward the initial start-up costs of the Commission,
but noted that the Georgian government expected the bulk of
the funding for the Commission's work and the cost of
restitution claims to come from international donors.
4. Comment: The replacement of Bestaeva by Kavtaradze and
Bokeria is a good move by the Georgian government, placing
most of the responsibility for implementing the law with the
Ministry of Justice, where it belongs. According to the
Restitution Law, the Commission should have been formed by
the end of May, five months from the date the Law went into
force. The fact that Bestaeva was replaced by two other
government officials (one of whom is an influential
parliamentarian and a key advisor to the President) for her
failure to meet this deadline indicates that the Georgian
government is serious in its commitment to implement the law
and provide restitution to those displaced by the
Georgian-Ossetian conflict. End Comment.
5. Action Request: Post requests Department guidance on the
legality of Post nominating an independent international
expert to the Commission.
TEFFT