Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI2964
2007-11-26 12:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

TBILISI UPDATE: 11/26/07

Tags:  PREL PGOV GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 261230Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8292
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 002964 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: TBILISI UPDATE: 11/26/07

REF: A. TBILISI 2948

B. TBILISI 2935

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

---------------------------------------
Saakashvili Resigns, Declares Candidacy
---------------------------------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 002964

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: TBILISI UPDATE: 11/26/07

REF: A. TBILISI 2948

B. TBILISI 2935

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

--------------
Saakashvili Resigns, Declares Candidacy
--------------


1. (U) As expected, on November 25 President Saakashvili
resigned to launch his re-election campaign. The resignation
is required for early presidential elections. The Parliament
approved Saakashvili's proposal of January 5 elections by 148
to 1. Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze has become
acting president; Deputy Speaker Mikheil Machavariani will
become Parliament Speaker. This is the second time
Burjanadze has served as acting president; the first time was
in 2003 following Eduard Shevardnadze's resignation during
the Rose Revolution, prior to Saakashvili's election in
January 2004.

--------------
Protests In Support of Imedi TV are Peaceful
--------------


2. (U) An estimated 20,000 - 30,000 protesters gathered in
Tbilisi's Rike Square November 25 for a peaceful three-hour
demonstration demanding the immediate restoration of Imedi
TV. The protest, organized by the nine-party United National
Council of Opposition (UNC),marched to the front of the
parliament building before disbanding. Conservative Party MP
Zviad Dzidziguri said protest rallies would continue if Imedi
didn't resume broadcasting in a few days. Prior to this
protest, on November 22, opposition youth activists held
brief protest rallies outside of Rustavi 2, Mze TV, and the
Georgian Public Broadcast channel to call on them to express
solidarity with Imedi TV. Journalists from several
Tbilisi-based media outlets signed a petition calling for the
immediate resumption of Imedi broadcasts.

--------------
Government Holds Televised Cabinet Meeting
--------------


3. (U) On November 24 before Saakashvili's resignation, new
Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze chaired his first cabinet
meeting, which was televised live. Saakashvili told the
cabinet the next forty days (while he is out of office) would
be an important test for the government. He called on the
ministers to continue to govern with a strong democratic
mandate and to focus on security and public order to prevent
"provocations." Saakashvili urged the government to

immediately launch all planned social assistance programs.
Gurgenidze emphasized these social programs would not be paid
for with new taxes, but suggested they might be covered by
slowing down planned infrastructure projects. Saakashvili
also said other changes remained possible for members of his
government, telling them the behavior of the government would
be closely monitored in the period leading to elections.
Burjanadze said she hoped the cabinet would be "seriously
refreshed" following the January 5 election. The cabinet,
along with new Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze, won a
confidence vote 155 to 0 in Parliament November 22.

-------------- --------------
National Movement Party Holds Congress November 23
-------------- --------------


4. (U) The ruling National Movement held a congress November
23, which aired live, to nominate Saakashvili as its
presidential candidate. Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, PM
Gurgenidze, Burjanadze and Saakashvili each spoke to the
audience of 17,000. Each speech focused on the need to
address social problems and reduce the gap between rich and
poor. Burjanadze said the necessary reforms taken by the
government since 2003, while painful at times and accompanied
by mistakes, should not overshadow the importance of the Rose
Revolution. Saakashvili focused his speech on social issues,
Georgia's territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic
integration. He also warned there would be "many
provocations" ahead, referring to Russian interference in
elections and Badri Patarkatsishvili's efforts to destabilize
the Georgian government. Polish President Lech Kaczynski
attended the congress.

--------------
Ruling Party Shares Internal Poll Results
--------------


5. (C) National Movement MP and Saakashvili insider Giga
Bokeria told Ambassador November 22 the ruling party had done
an initial private presidential poll, in Tbilisi only. He
reported: Saakashvili had 22% support, UNC presidential

candidate Levan Gachechiladze 14%, Badri Patarkatsishvili 6%,
New Rightists MP Davit Gamkrelidze 5%, and Labor Party leader
Shalva Natelashvili 3%. The results gave Bokeria confidence
that Saakashvili could win a first round victory. In a
separate conversation, Speaker Burjanadze expressed more
concern, noting that if Saakashvili did not win the first
round, the opposition could unify around his remaining
challenger in a second round.

-------------- --------------
Rumors of Pressure to Vote for Saakashvili Continue
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Ambassador raised the issue of alleged pressure on
government employees to vote for Saakashvili (Ref A) with
Burjanadze November 23. Burjanadze said she had looked into
these allegations and determined there were a few National
Movement officials in the Tbilisi City Council who were
trying to browbeat city employees into supporting
Saakashvili. Burjanadze said she told Saakashvili, who then
ordered those responsible to cease and desist. On November
24, Labor Party Executive Secretary Paata Jibladze held a
press conference to accuse the ruling party of this blackmail
of public sector employees, and said the authorities also had
a list of people to remove from voting lists, including
prisoners' family members, dismissed employees, and people
known to be against the government.

--------------
New Rightists Congress Endorses Gamkrelidze
--------------


7. (U) New Rightists Party held its congress November 24 to
formally endorse Davit Gamkrelidze's candidacy for president.
The Industrialists and National Democratic parties are also
supporting Gamkrelidze. New Rightists MP Irakli Iashvili, a
member of the Parliamentary Committee for Economic Policy,
was selected as Gamkrelidze's running mate for Prime
Minister.


8. (U) Gamkrelidze told his supporters if he won the
presidential election, he would call for a referendum in
April to ask the Georgian public what type of government it
wanted, a constitutional monarchy or parliamentary republic.
He offered his support to a constitutional monarchy, and
added that Patriarch Ilia II could act as regent until a
monarch was identified. Gamkrelidze outlined his platform,
including reform of the Interior Ministry, abolishment of
compulsory military service, and extensive social programs to
aid the poor.

--------------
Government Wants Free and Fair Elections
--------------


9. (C) Government officials have stressed to us the
importance of ensuring the January 5 elections are perceived
as free and fair. Newly appointed head of the National
Security Council Alexander Lomaia told the Ambassador
November 25 he would be the coordinator for the international
community on election issues. Lomaia said he hoped the
international community would support a system of exit
polling as it had done during the 2003 presidential
elections. Acting President Burjanadze and Lomaia encouraged
the Ambassador to raise any reports of election-related
problems with them.


10. (U) The Parliament voted November 22 to allow voter
registration on polling day, an amendment to the election
code in its third and final reading. The opposition is
against same-day voter registration, fearing individuals will
be able to cast ballots at different polling stations by
registering several times. The ruling party emphasized that
voters registered the same day as elections will be required
to submit copies of their IDs and their votes will be tallied
separately.

--------------
Requirements to Bid for Presidency
--------------


11. (U) Candidates have until November 26 to declare their
candidacy for the early presidential elections. Labor Party
leader Shalva Natelashvili was the first to register with the
Central Election Commission (CEC). New Rightists
Gamkrelidze, oligarch Badri Patarkatsishvili, UNC candidate
Levan Gachechiladze, Party of Future leader Gia Maisashvili,
Russian-leaning Hope Party leader Irina Sarishvili-Chanturia
and Saakashvili also registered. The remaining candidates
that have expressed to the CEC an intention to run are: Levan
Kidzinidze, Elene Tepnadze-Bagrationi, Ivane Tsiklauri, and
Tamaz Bibilauri. Each candidate must submit 50,000
signatures supporting their candidacy by December 5 (ref B).

--------------
Imedi TV on for a Moment
--------------


12. (SBU) A critical issue for opposition, international
observers and Georgians alike is the resumption of
broadcasting by Imedi TV. On November 23 Bidzina
Baratashvili, managing director of Imedi TV said there has
been no direct contact between Imedi and the authorities
about reopening the station in early December, despite
remarks to that effect by OSCE Representative on Freedom of
the Media Miklos Haraszti. While Imedi claims the status of
its broadcast equipment is unknown following the November 7
closure of the station, on November 25 the station broadcast
one George Michael video without sound. General Director
Lewis Robertson said the broadcast was done by the Georgian
government, presumably to test the signal, not by Imedi.


13. (SBU) Imedi anchor Inga Grigolia announced she was
leaving her job at the television station November 23.
Grigolia said she will work with an independent TV studio to
produce programs for all channels. Her first project was a
November 24 interview with President Saakashvili for an hour
and a half, which aired on the pro-government Rustavi 2
channel. Saakashvili said during the interview he had
information on "dealings" in London between Patarkatsishvili
and opposition candidates to gain opposition support for his
presidential campaign. Saakashvili also said he would
participate in televised debates if they focused on the
issues.

-------------- --------------
Opposition meets with Polish and Lithuanian Presidents
-------------- --------------


14. (U) Opposition leaders met with Polish President
Kaczynski November 23 and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
November 24. Conservative MP Kakha Kukava said the visits of
the two presidents, who came to Georgia to commemorate the
fourth anniversary of the Rose Revolution, were a
breakthrough as both pledged to do their utmost to resume
Imedi TV broadcasts and ensure the January 5 elections were
democratic.
TEFFT