Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI2050
2007-08-14 12:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

NINO BURJANADZE, THE CONSTANT GARDENER

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR GG 
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VZCZCXRO9769
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #2050/01 2261250
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141250Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7313
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TBILISI 002050 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC AND INR/B

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR GG
SUBJECT: NINO BURJANADZE, THE CONSTANT GARDENER

REF: A. A. TBILISI 1101

B. B. TBILISI 1933

C. C. TBILISI 1675

D. D. TBILISI 1370

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Mark X. Perry for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TBILISI 002050

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC AND INR/B

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR GG
SUBJECT: NINO BURJANADZE, THE CONSTANT GARDENER

REF: A. A. TBILISI 1101

B. B. TBILISI 1933

C. C. TBILISI 1675

D. D. TBILISI 1370

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Mark X. Perry for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)


1. (C) Summary: One of the few constants in the Georgian
political landscape over the past decade has been Nino
Burjanadze. Since her election to Parliament in 1995,
Burjanadze has emerged as one of the most moderate voices in
Georgia, a reformer with credibility at home and abroad.
Both her ascent and her political longevity have not been
without obstacles, as Burjanadze has long taken fire in the
Georgian press for the wealth and personal connections of her
family. Pundits believe the Speaker of Parliament, whose
leadership was instrumental during the Rose Revolution, is
now fighting to maintain her relevance among the strong
personalities surrounding President Mikheil Saakashvili and
within the National Movement. In spite of the current
political environment which limits her maneuverability,
Burjanadze has not only survived, but prospered in the face
of adversity. By defending her independence and cautiously
distancing herself from other majority leaders, the Speaker
of Parliament has adopted a strategic, long-term perspective
on her political future. Remaining moderate domestically and
carefully cultivating her international image -- often
through her tough but calm stance against Russia -- has
enabled Burjanadze not only to remain popular, but to
position herself for the post-Saakashvili era when the
political headwinds she faces may not be as strong. End
Summary.

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Digging up Dirt
--------------


2. (C) Nino Burjanadze's rise through the ranks to the
forefront of the Georgian political scene represents a
considerable achievement in the male-dominated culture of
Georgia. Burjanadze received her doctorate from Moscow State
University and became a professor of international law at
Tbilisi State University prior to entering politics. Her
qualifications notwithstanding, Burjanadze has been dogged by
criticism throughout her career. The Speaker of Parliament

has never escaped scrutiny for the wealth and personal
connections of her family. She is the only child of Anzor
Burjanadze, a longtime friend of former President
Shevardnadze's and "bread czar" of Georgia. Other family
members and friends have been able to trade on her name to
receive lucrative posts, fueling public charges of nepotism.
Burjanadze has steadfastly defended her husband Badri
Bitadze, former Prosecutor General and current Chief of the
Border Guard Service, from widely believed allegations of
corruption. Her public displays of expensive jewelry and
couture have not gone unnoticed by both the public and the
diplomatic community (Note: Morning meetings with Burjanadze
are exceedingly rare, as they reportedly conflict with her
daily hairstyling appointment at an exclusive Tbilisi salon.
End Note).

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Cultivating an Image
--------------


3. (C) Despite projecting an image of sophisticated luxury
which draws some critics (Note. Old political hands say that
former mentor Zurab Zhvania repeatedly told Burjanadze to cut
out the gold and jewels in public presentations. End Note.),
Burjanadze remains popular in the eyes of the public. Recent
IRI polling data reveals that 73% of respondents view
Burjanadze favorably, up from 64% in 2006 and only four
points behind the President's own rating. Sources believe
Burjanadze's high esteem stems from her able stewardship of
the Rose Revolution as interim President following the sudden
resignation of Shevardnadze. This watershed moment solidified
Burjanadze's reputation as one of the most moderate voices in
Georgia, and boosted the Speaker's self-confident image.
Burjanadze has parlayed this triumph by transforming herself
into a public ambassador advocating Georgia's Euro-Atlantic
aspirations before the international community. While few
legislators have sought to make her gender an issue
domestically, politicians have trumpeted the success of such
a high-ranking woman as proof of Georgia's European
orientation.


4. (C) Burjanadze has established herself as a public face of
Georgia in the eyes of the international community. In
recent years, the number of high-level international visits
made by the Speaker have been conspicuously on the rise.

TBILISI 00002050 002 OF 003


Burjanadze has used this elevated standing as a platform to
criticize Russia over its deteriorating bilateral
relationship with Georgia. Throughout the years, she has
been outspoken over Russian involvement in Georgia's
separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but she has
done so with a light and effective touch. Many watched with
pride as Burjanadze, emulating the tough yet dignified
approach of her political hero Margaret Thatcher, calmly
sparred with radical Russian Duma members last year during a
CIS Parliamentary conference in Kyiv. Burjanadze appeared to
be bitter, however, over what she judged to be a Russian
campaign to torpedo her bid to become President of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly in the summer of 2006. Somewhat
insulated in her role as Speaker of Parliament, she has since
become increasingly combative in her rhetoric. Observers
believe these moves to be tactical in nature; a close watcher
of political polling, Burjanadze harbors lofty ambitions and
is crafting her political strategy accordingly.

--------------
Pruning New Growth
--------------


5. (C) Many pundits believe Burjanadze's calculated,
deliberate stance toward Moscow is an attempt to bolster her
domestic credibility following her waning political influence
at home. Immediately following the Rose Revolution,
Burjanadze's team -- critical to the formation of the United
National Movement -- was politically outmaneuvered by former
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania during the 2004 parliamentary
election. Awarded far fewer places on the party list than
she originally bargained for, Burjanadze was effectively
sidestepped by the kingmakers and relegated to a junior
partner in the ruling triumvirate with Saakashvili and
Zhvania. Since that time, Burjanadze has struggled to
maintain her relevance amidst the coterie with immediate
access to the President. Although Saakashvili regards the
Speaker as a loyal -- though independent -- ally, his
decision-making is influenced by party stalwarts within the
ruling coalition including key parliamentarians such as Giga
Bokeria. Sometimes the Speaker defers questions to these
individuals, in spite of her leadership position. Until
recently, one of her principal supporters in Parliament was
the outspoken Davit Bakradze, but he has now been named as
State Minister of Georgia for Conflict Resolution. Still, it
is clear that the Speaker has influence over the President,
although her voice is one of many.


6. (C) Although she enjoys solid approval ratings both
domestically and internationally, Burjanadze is currently not
in a position to fully capitalize on her reputation. While
Burjanadze is one of the most highly regarded politicians in
Georgia, few would actually vote for her for President. In a
2007 IRI ballot test, only 7% indicated they would vote for
Burjanadze, down from 11% the previous year. Poloff met with
IRI Country Director Mark Lenzi to discuss these results,
which suggest that Burjanadze has shifted toward a long-term
perspective in a political culture otherwise dominated by the
"win now" mentality. Lenzi noted that the winner-take-all
election system for majoritarian MPs, wherein voters select
one party rather than individuals, limits Burjanadze's
maneuverability. The Speaker is propelled by the prevailing
political winds of UNM, a current she can do little at
present to influence.

--------------
Planting Tomorrow's Seeds
--------------


7. (C) Burjanadze's political skill and shrewd diplomacy have
enabled her to not only survive these challenging times, but
to position herself for the future. Recently, she has made
cautious moves to distance herself from more vocal elements
of the National Movement by subtly breaking with the party
line in her public comments on recent developments.
Burjanadze has called for increasing the oversight function
of Parliament over state institutions to strengthen
democratic checks on power, calling on the National Movement
consider the international dimension of its dominance and to
not misuse its popular mandate (reftel A). While other key
figures of the UNM toed the line on the high-profile
Girgvliani murder (reftel B),Burjanadze stood out alone in
calling for further investigation into the politically
charged case. She recently criticized the outspoken Minister
of Education and Science Alexander Lomaia for his polarizing
defense in Parliament against charges of corruption, an
incident which led the President to publicly intervene in
Lomaia's defense (reftel C). Such moves have allowed
Burjanadze to solidify her credentials in the political
middle ground. This independence may insulate her from the
unfavorable headwinds she may face as the 2008 parliamentary

TBILISI 00002050 003 OF 003


elections approach.


8. (C) Comment. While her current role within the National
Movement is somewhat circumscribed, it would be a mistake to
dismiss Burjanadze. She appears to be looking ahead to the
era after Saakashvili, who has no obvious successor. Her
style contrasts sharply with that of other more divisive
alternatives to Saakashvili, such as former minister of
Defense Irakli Okruashvili, as well as that of relatively
unpopular Saakashvili insiders like MP Giga Bokeria and
Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili. By courting
the middle both domestically and internationally, Burjanadze
could emerge as a consensus builder and unifying figure in
the eyes of the Georgian public, or a possible successor
after Saakashvili's second term, especially if the only other
alternative is the combative Okruashvili. End Comment.

PERRY
PERRY