Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TBILISI444
2008-03-17 13:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

RULING PARTY AMENDS GEORGIAN CONSTITUTION AGAIN,

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM GG 
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VZCZCXRO6886
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #0444/01 0771356
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171356Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9107
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000444 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM GG
SUBJECT: RULING PARTY AMENDS GEORGIAN CONSTITUTION AGAIN,
OPPOSITION PROTESTS

REF: TBILISI 403

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Mark X. Perry for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000444

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM GG
SUBJECT: RULING PARTY AMENDS GEORGIAN CONSTITUTION AGAIN,
OPPOSITION PROTESTS

REF: TBILISI 403

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Mark X. Perry for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (SBU) Summary: On March 12, the ruling National Movement
(UNM) amended the Georgian Constitution to maintain 75
single-mandate Parliamentary seats for the upcoming election
(reftel) and establish 75 party list seats. In response to
the proposed amendment, the Labor Party called on all the
opposition parties to boycott the upcoming election.
Although no other opposition parties have agreed to such a
boycott, the United National Council of Opposition (UNC)
renewed calls for its nationwide hunger strike begun on March

10. On March 11, MP David Gamkrelidze and his New Rightists
(NR) party joined the UNC hunger strike. On March 14,
Gamkrelidze and the UNC called for Parliamentary Speaker Nino
Burjanadze's resignation. Approximately 8,000 people rallied
with the NR and UNC on March 16 in front of Parliament, as
the opposition continued the hunger strike on Parliament's
steps. UNC leaders called for a protest at the Embassy on
March 19 against President Saakashvili's POTUS meeting. The
Republican party did not participate in the rally. Nearly
lost in the commotion are amendments to Georgia's election
code, which passed their first hearing in Parliament on March

15. The amendments show limited improvement to address
deficiencies in the code, while posing additional problems.
President Saakashvili told the opposition that with time
running out the ruling party would have to unilaterally
decide on outstanding issues related with the Parliamentary
elections this May, if the opposition refused to resume
dialogue in the next couple of weeks. End Summary.

--------------
UNM Amends Constitution
--------------


2. (SBU) On March 12, the UNM used its constitutional
majority (two-thirds plus one) in Parliament to again amend
the Georgian Constitution and reinstate 75 single-mandate
Parliamentary seats for the upcoming election (reftel). The
number of party-list seats was reduced to 75 from 100.

Opposition MPs did not participate in the vote. (Note: Just
last year the UNM had amended the constitution to institute
100 party list seats and 50 majoritarian seats. End note.)

--------------
Labor Calls for Election Boycott
--------------


3. (U) On March 13, the Labor Party called on all the
opposition parties to boycott the upcoming election. They
said they would only participate in the election if other
"traitor" parties did so. To date, no other opposition
parties have agreed to such a boycott and all other parties
plan to participate in the election.

--------------
NR, UNC Demand Burjanadze Resign,
Amid Protest, Hunger Strike
--------------


4. (U) On March 14, Gamkrelidze and his New Rightists (NR)
party called for Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze's
resignation. On the same day, the Republican party denounced
Burjanadze for allegedly violating the terms and spirit of
the negotiations they had held with her in the previous
weeks. In addition to decrying the 75 single-mandate
amendment, Republican Tina Khidasheli said that Burjanadze
had not followed through on reported agreements to change the
chairmanship of the Central Election Commission. Although
they blame her for not maintaining earlier agreements, the
Republicans did not join NR in calling for Burjanadze's
resignation as they did not believe it would resolve the
crisis.


5. (U) On March 16, approximately 8,000 people rallied with
the NR and UNC at Parliament, as the opposition continued
their hunger strike (begun March 9) on Parliament's steps.
The protesters were an older crowd, evenly split between men
and women. Around 25 tents and 70 hunger strikers were set
up on in front of the building. The hunger strike was
entering its seventh day. The crowd warmly welcomed MP David
Gamkrelidze (also on hunger strike in Burjanadze's office
reception area, and appearing gaunt). He again called on
Burjanadze to resign. Noticeably absent from the protest
were the Republicans and Giorgi Targamadze's new Christian
Democrats party. The same day, Saakashvili described the
hunger strike action as "not Christian" and said all
Georgians should "stand together to protect the country." On

TBILISI 00000444 002 OF 002


March 17, Burjanadze said she would resign only if the UNC
recognizes Saakashvili as Georgia's legitimate President and
drops its other demands.

--------------
UNC Plans Protest at the Embassy
--------------


6. (U) UNC leaders MP Levan Gachechiladze, MP Zviad
Dzidziguri, and Koba Davitashvili announced that the UNC will
demonstrate in front of U.S. Embassy Tbilisi on Wednesday,
March 19 at 1400 to protest Saakashvili's meeting with
President Bush. Gachechiladze said that "the U.S.
administration should see the will of the Georgian people.
We will show the U.S. that Georgia is not a country of
experiments. We are building a Georgian state, not an
American one." (Note: Gamkrelidze did not/not join in calls
for a protest against the U.S. End note.)

--------------
Election Code Amendments Proposed
--------------


7. (U) Nearly lost in the commotion are amendments to
Georgia's election code, which passed their first hearing in
Parliament on March 15. President Saakashvili told the
opposition that with time running out the ruling party would
have to unilaterally decide on outstanding issues related
with the Parliamentary elections this May, if the opposition
refused to resume dialogue in the next couple of weeks. The
proposed amendments raise the District Election Commissions
(DEC) from 5 members to 13, with 6 members proposed by
opposition parties. This does not fulfill the opposition's
demand for DEC parity, as the UNM would retain a 7 to 6
majority. The proposal also would increase the DECs' powers,
by allowing them to tabulate the results from the precincts
and to cancel election results in precincts. The DECs did
not have these powers during the presidential election. The
proposal also eliminates same-day registration and voting.
Precinct camera footage will be made immediately available,
with restrictions to limit how long a challenge could be
reviewed (so as not to drag out the tabulation process).
Also in the proposal, majoritarian MP candidates will no
longer need supporters' signatures to be officially
registered as a candidate. Political parties will only need
30,000 signatures rather than the current 50,000 to be placed
on the party list. UNM MP Davit Kirkitadze proposed that
four majoritarian seats for lawmakers from South Ossetia and
Abkhaz constituencies be allocated from Tbilisi's nine
existing majoritarian seats. (Note: Post will attend a
roundtable on the proposed amendments with stakeholders on
March 18. End note.)

--------------
Comment
--------------


8. (C) The opposition does not appear to be making much
progress with its protests and hunger strike. The protest at
the Embassy will be just the second by the opposition at the
embassy's new location since the clashes in November 2007.
Despite this, the UNM is pressing every advantage. The
proposed election code amendments could be problematic. Some
proposed steps, such as including the opposition on the DECs,
are positive on the surface. However, giving the DECs power
to tabulate and annul results is contrary to donors' plans to
streamline tabulation and maintain transparency and
accountability of the Central Election Commission.
PERRY