GEORGIA: GOG OUTLINES ITS VISION FOR POLITICAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 002120

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: GOG OUTLINES ITS VISION FOR POLITICAL

REFORM

REF: TBILISI 1602


1. (SBU) Summary/Comment: The Government of Georgia
recently released a document laying out a variety of
political reforms currently underway in order to improve
democracy and pluralism in Georgia. The document also
acknowledges the mistakes the government made in its use of
force to quell the protests in November 2007. Following
President Saakashvili's September state of the nation address
to Parliament (reftel) largely to the letter, the proposed
(and in some cases completed) reforms include measures to
strengthen Parliament; increase judicial independence;
strengthen and increase the role of the opposition; and
foster a more open media environment. Although opposition
members are skeptical of government motivations,
Saakashvili's administration appears committed to making good
on President Saakashvili's reform promises as delivered in
the state of the nation address. End summary/comment.

PARLIAMENTARY REFORMS


2. (SBU) In his September address, Saakashvili expressed
his desire to re-submit the cabinet to a no-confidence vote
in the Parliament. The Parliament approved the new PM and
cabinet on November 1. He additionally pledged to make it
more difficult for the President to dissolve Parliament, and
to simplify procedures for Parliament to call no-confidence
votes against the cabinet. The GOG document envisions that
both proposals will be adopted by the end of November. The
government proposed to limit the right of the President to
call for new Parliamentary elections. Finally, a new law on
the Chamber of Control is expected to strengthen
Parliamentary minority oversight on budgetary expenditures.
The document listed additional recent changes that allow the
seated opposition factions the right to nominate candidates
for three vice-chairmanships of Parliament; one deputy
chairmanship of each Parliamentary committee; the chair of ad
hoc investigative commissions; and simplified rules for
establishing a Parliamentary factions as concrete examples of
the GOG's willingness to increase and facilitate the role of
the opposition in Parliament.

JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE


3. (SBU) In his state of the nation address, Saakashvili
called the judicial system the "backbone and guarantor of our
democracy", and vowed to make the judiciary more just and
independent. As many experts have advised, the GOG is
proposing lifetime appointment of judges to decrease the
politicization of the judiciary. Other proposed legislation
to reform the judiciary is expected to pass without
opposition in December and will include: continuation of the
right to a speedy trial; procedural rules changes to shift to
a more adversarial process; introduction of exclusionary
rules on illegally obtained evidence; and finalizing the
principle of inadmissibility of out of court statements. All
represent concrete steps to move toward more western style
civil and criminal procedures.

COOPERATION WITH THE OPPOSITION


4. (SBU) The GOG cited a number of initiatives to show its
willingness to work constructively with the opposition.
President Saakashvili has already followed through on a
promise in the state of the nation address to give the
Parliamentary minority additional seats in the Group of
Confidence (a special parliamentary group charged with
monitoring defense spending, including top secret projects),
and one minority member seat on the High Council of Justice
(akin to a Judiciary Committee). Also cited are the
formation of the Anti-Crisis Council and Temporary Commission
on Military Aggression and Other Acts of Russia Against the
Qon Military Aggression and Other Acts of Russia Against the
Territorial Integrity of Georgia, both of which are
high-profile projects garnering an intense amount of media
attention. Both are headed by members of the Parliamentary
opposition.

INCREASED MEDIA FREEDOM


5. (SBU) The GOG announced the appointment of an opposition
representative in the Georgian National Communications
Commission in order to involve the opposition directly in the
process of decision-making for national programming. The GOG
recently introduced legislative guarantees to ensure regular
broadcasting of political talk-shows with equal participation
of all major political parties. Currently, Georgian Public
Broadcasting Channel 1 holds a daily political talkshow and
expects to launch another in December. Likewise, Rustavi TV
2 expects to launch its political talkshow soon, also slated
for December.

POLITICAL PARTIES/ELECTION CODE

TBILISI 00002120 002 OF 002




6. (SBU) The GOG will finance all qualified political
parties. Basic funding will increase and will also include
the resumption of government funding for those parties who
lost it due to their refusal to take their Parliamentary
seats. The time frame for implementation is the end of
November. The GOG intends to establish a working group with
participation from the UNM, opposition parties, international
organizations, and NGOs to draft a new election code
according to international standards to ensure freer and
fairer elections in the future. Post will continue to
monitor developments in this arena closely and will report on
progress to revise the election code.
TEFFT