Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TBILISI2192
2008-11-24 14:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

GEORGIA QUIETLY MARKS ROSE REVOLUTION'S FIFTH

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM GG 
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RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSI #2192 3291416
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241416Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0453
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS TBILISI 002192 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA QUIETLY MARKS ROSE REVOLUTION'S FIFTH
ANNIVERSARY

UNCLAS TBILISI 002192

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA QUIETLY MARKS ROSE REVOLUTION'S FIFTH
ANNIVERSARY


1. (U) On November 23, the fifth anniversary of Georgia's
Rose Revolution, the Government held a party and concert to
commemorate the occasion. The Ambassador attended both
events Only a small number of foreign dignitaries attended
the events, including Polish President Lech Kaczynski, UK
Special Representative to the South Caucasus Sir Brian Fall,
and the Bulgarian Black Sea Envoy Ambassador Elena
Poptodorova. The diplomatic corps and members of the
government made up the majority of participants at the
events. Prior to these events, President Saakashvili marked
the anniversary with a live, televised address to the nation,
in which he discussed the Rose Revolution. In the background
of the event was the excitement caused by the firing of
weapons near the motorcade of Presidents Saakashvili and
Kaczynski as they visited a "border" post near South Ossetia.


2. (U) In his speech to the nation, Saakashvili noted that
"not all of the expectations of the Rose Revolution had been
fulfilled" and said the revolution would continue until key
tasks were accomplished. Saakashvili said "perhaps more
could have been done" in the past five years. Notably, the
President said that the August war with Russia would make it
"more difficult" to restore Georgia's territorial integrity.
He said Georgia "had become the major target of the world's
largest aggressor" and is now confronting "a huge empire of
evil." However, Saakashvili said that despite this
challenge, Russia had failed in its goal to destroy Georgia's
statehood and democracy. Saakashvili called for unity,
strength, and courage from the country and its citizens, in
order to continue the progress made since 2003. He claimed
that above all other accomplishments, Georgia has
materialized as a true state in the world. Despite this and
other achievements, Saakashvili concluded that more remains
to be done, and that no effort should be spared to turn
Georgia into a "fully free and liberal democracy."


3. (SBU) Comment: This party and concert commemorating the
Rose Revolution marked a subdued contrast to the massive
staging of events that Saakashvili has held in years past.
Initially Saakashvili sent out invitations to many world
leaders in hopes of holding a large event. While it is
difficult to know with certainty what changed, Saakashvili
muted the five year anniversary celebrations. It is possible
he realized that the time was not right, given the August
conflict and the latest spate of negative publicity
questioning Saakashvili's judgment in resorting to force, to
make a splashy statement of all he has done for Georgia. It
is also possible that he was unable to get the level of
international representation he had hoped for, in large part
due to the high-level visitors from around the globe who have
come to Georgia since August, and therefore were not
available to return. We also understand that political
polling showed that the public was opposed to a big event.
Regardless, Saakashvili's statements regarding the events of
August were noteworthy as they marked a change in tone from
his previous statements, some of which implied that Georgia
had been successful in its conflict with Russia, in spite of
the loss of control over the two separatist territories. End
comment.
TEFFT