Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI2822
2007-11-15 13:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

TBILISI PROTESTS: SITREP NO. 7

Tags:  PREL PGOV GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7215
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #2822/01 3191338
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151338Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8192
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TBILISI 002822 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: TBILISI PROTESTS: SITREP NO. 7

REF: A. TBILISI 2802


B. TBILISI 2813

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

---------------------------------------------
State of Emergency Will be Lifted November 16
---------------------------------------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TBILISI 002822

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: TBILISI PROTESTS: SITREP NO. 7

REF: A. TBILISI 2802


B. TBILISI 2813

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

--------------
State of Emergency Will be Lifted November 16
--------------


1. (U) Speaker Nino Burjanadze said in a televised statement
that the state of emergency imposed on November 7 will be
lifted on November 16. She stated "this is important for the
international community and our society." Burjanadze also
reaffirmed the government's readiness to continue talks with
the opposition.

--------------
Imedi TV Broadcast License Suspended
--------------


2. (SBU) Imedi TV managing director Bidzina Baratashvili said
he received notice on November 13 from the Tbilisi City Court
that the Imedi TV broadcast license has been suspended and
the station's assets frozen. The ruling was dated November
7, and was based on statements by the station's owner Badri
Patarkatsishvili, which according to the court contained
calls to overthrow the government. Baratashvili said Imedi
TV plans to appeal the ruling to a higher court and will be
determining the extent of damage inflicted to equipment when
police entered and closed the station.


3. (U) Nino Burjanadze met with Imedi journalists, including
Giorgi Targamadze, the controversial Imedi news anchor, on
November 14 at the Parliament. The journalists shared
information about police actions the day of the Imedi
shutdown. Burjanadze did not say when Imedi would be able to
resume broadcasting. Conservative Party leader Kukava said
Imedi would be high on the agenda during the opposition's
talks with Burjanadze November 15.


4. (U) Tbilisi-based Kavkasia TV also remains off the air.
The owner and broadcaster, Davit Akubardia, was told by
authorities the tower that broadcasts the TV's signal is out.
Akubardia does not know who will fix the tower.

--------------
DAS Bryza Continues Meetings in Tbilisi
--------------


5. (C) DAS Matthew Bryza continued meetings with opposition
leaders from the Republican Party and New Rights on November

15. He also met with Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava. DAS Bryza

continues to press for restoration of Imedi to the airwaves
and has promoted the idea of a European-style body to monitor
the media and ensure ethical reporting in Georgia during the
election period. President Saakashvili told Bryza November
12 that he is amenable to returning Imedi to the air if
appropriate safeguards can be instituted (ref B).

-------------- --------------
Opposition Briefs Diplomatic Community; Continues Dialogue
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) Ten representatives from the opposition parties
briefed the diplomatic community on November 14. The leaders
laid out ten preconditions for free and fair elections. Key
demands were that the police stop arrests and persecution of
participants in the protests, a government investigation into
police actions during the protests, removal of restrictions
on the media and reopening of Imedi television, and the
holding of a free and fair presidential elections. The
opposition complained they are receiving unequal time on the
government television channel, saying the state of emergency
gives the President a political advantage. Republican Party
leader Tina Khidasheli called the government channel a "PR
tool for the president."


7. (C) Republican party leader Davit Usupashvili thanked the
United States and the international community for their
support for electoral reforms. He asked the international
community to assist in elections monitoring in Tbilisi and in
the regions. Salome Zourabashvili announced that she will
travel to Europe to meet with European Parliament leaders and
possibly the NATO Secretary General to inform them of the
opposition's plans and garner international support. During
her absence, presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze,
joined by Usupashvili and Conservative MP Kakha Kukava, will
lead the campaign. Gachechiladze said he will only give live
press interviews. Zourabashvili commented that any boycott
of the election would be very counterproductive, because the
United Council of Opposition's (UNC) goal is to make positive

TBILISI 00002822 002 OF 003


change and achieve free and democratic elections.


8. (U) The UNC also met with government representative
Vice-Speaker Mikheil Machavariani November 14 and is
scheduled to meet again with Speaker Nino Burjanadze November

15.

--------------
Government Proposals for Election Code Reform
--------------


9. (U) The government submitted a package of amendments to
the election laws to Parliamentary committees on November 14,
which will continue to work on them. The proposal would
reduce the election threshold from seven percent to five
percent, reorganize the election commissions to include
representatives of political parties and change the rules for
electing majoritarian MPs to give smaller parties a larger
chance to win seats. The Central Election Commission will be
composed of five members appointed by the President, one
member appointed by the ruling National Movement party, and
six members from each of the six opposition parties eligible
for state funding: New Rightists, Industrialists, Labor
Party, Freedom Party, Republican Party, and Conservative
Party. Each of these parties cleared the three percent and
four percent thresholds during parliamentary and local
elections, respectively. Details were also worked out for
the district and precinct election commission levels. The
package is scheduled for discussion in Parliament November

15. Republican Party leader Usupashvili told diplomats
November 14 that the opposition is not entirely satisfied
with the government's proposed amendments, nor is
Davitashvili satisfied with the progress being made in the
government's talks with the opposition.


10. (U) Finance Minister Nika Gilauri announced plans
November 13 to allocate GEL 20 million (USD 12.3 million) for
Central Election Commission (CEC) activities related to the
January 5 presidential elections and the plebiscite on the
date of parliamentary elections. Originally the CEC 2007
budget was GEL 9.5 million (USD 5.9 million). The extra
allocation will come from the presidential and government
reserve funds.

--------------
Saakashvili Addresses Public
--------------


11. (SBU) President Saakashvili addressed Tbilisi Medical
University on November 14. The 45-minute meeting was
broadcast on Georgian Public TV. His speech was attended
mainly by older health care professionals. Saakashvili has
not often been seen addressing older citizens. The
President's demeanor was subdued. He focused mainly on
health-related issues relevant to the medical community and,
in a rare conciliatory gesture, admitted some Georgians are
going hungry and some of the reforms the government enacted
may need to be corrected. He claimed "huge resources' are
being used against Georgia and that Russia is acting toward
Georgia as it had in 1921. He accused Russia of promoting
revolution in Georgia in order to justify invading it, but
warned that Georgia has sufficient forces to respond. The
speech was well-received by the audience, who said this kind
of dialogue is critical.

--------------
Presidential Pardon for 3,000 Inmates
--------------


12. (U) Saakashvili said November 14 he planned to pardon
inmates convicted for "petty crimes." Deputy Prosecutor Nika
Gvaramia announced that 1,000 inmates will be released soon.
The government plans to reduce prison terms for an additional
2,000 prisoners. The opposition alleged the decision is
linked to the upcoming election. However, the chairman of
the parliamentary Committee for Legal Affairs, Levan
Bezhashvili, said the government has been working on the idea
for a long time.

-------------- --------------
Public Defender Condemns Persecution of Protesters
-------------- --------------


13. (U) Sozar Subari, Public Defender and Ombudsman, released
a statement November 13 calling on law enforcement agencies
to immediately stop "persecuting and terrorizing" political
party activists and ordinary citizens who participated in the
anti-government demonstrations. The Interior Ministry denied
it is persecuting anyone, but confirmed it is investigating
violent attacks on police officers on November 7. The
Ministry also confirmed that an activist from the Labor Party

TBILISI 00002822 003 OF 003


was arrested November 13.

--------------
Court Orders Okruashvili Back into Custody
--------------


14. (U) On November 15, a court in Tbilisi granted the
General Prosecutor's Office's request to remand Irakli
Okruashvili to custody after he failed to appear in Tbilisi
for additional questioning by prosecutors. Hearings on
Okruashvili's corruption case are scheduled for November 16.
Okruashvili remains in Germany. His attorney alleged that
the real reason Okruashvili was ordered back into custody is
the interviews he has given in Germany recanting his
confession and reaffirming his charges against President
Saakashvili.

TEFFT