GEORGIA: U.S. ELECTION PARTY DRAWS ATTENTION OF

UNCLAS TBILISI 002063

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: U.S. ELECTION PARTY DRAWS ATTENTION OF
POLS/MEDIA

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.


1. (U) The Embassy and American Chamber of Commerce
co-sponsored an election party which drew a crowd of roughly
five to six hundred attendees who watched the results of the
U.S. Presidential election. Among the notables were
newly-confirmed Prime Minister Grigol Mgaloblishvili; Mayor
of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava; Minister of Economic Development Eka
Sharashidze; Deputy Foreign Minister Gigi Bokeria; Head of
Analytical Section of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Shota
Utiashvili; Presidential Deputy Chief of Staff, Nato
Kancheli; Chief of Presidential Protocol Zurab Davchiashvili;
Vice Speaker of Parliament Gigi Tserateli; Former Opposition
Presidential Candidate Levan Gadchichiladze; and New Rights
Leader David Gamkrelidze. The Prime Minister used the
opportunity to congratulate the United States on the election
of a new President.


2. (U) Local press covered the event and conducted
interviews with the Charge and event guests about the U.S.
election, its outcome, and effects. There was live reporting
on the morning and noon news programs, and the party was the
primary story on the evening news. Georgian and American
guests arrived before 7 am local time and filled the ballroom
which carried a live feed of CNN and MSNBC for attendees to
monitor results. In addition to the live television feeds,
the party featured NDI and IRI information tables; internet
stations where participants could check local election
results or read up on the electoral college; recordings of
the presidential and vice-presidential debates and comedy
sketches from U.S. television and a mock election for
Georgians complete with voting booths borrowed from the
Central Election Commission.


3. (SBU) Georgian guests were happily non-partisan noting
the strong support that Senator McCain, Senator Biden and
Senator Obama had all offered to Georgia in the past. Many
had woken up early to watch the returns come in and were
impresed by the U.S. tradition of concession and acceptance
speeches that called for unity and support behind the
nominee. A number of guests mentioned that they had been
impressed by Obama's grass-roots campaign and ability to
reach out to young people. New Rights Leader David
Gamkrelidze said that after studying Obama's campaign, he had
met with the youth wing of his party to encourage them to get
out and talk to the people in order to make the personal
connections necessary to be a successful politician. Our
Georgian counterparts all noted that they were looking
forward to working with the new administration and were
optimistic that Georgian-U.S. relations would remain a
priority.
LOGSDON