GEORGIA: WEEKEND MEDIA REVIEW: PROTEST RALLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001212 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: WEEKEND MEDIA REVIEW: PROTEST RALLY PLANNED DURING VP VISIT REF: TBILISI 1176 Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Non-parliamentary opposition leaders announced plans to hold a large-scale rally during Vice President Biden's visit to Georgia in July to demonstrate the opposition's strength and Georgia's "democratic aspirations." The non-parliamentary opposition's credibility suffered this weekend when reviled former Minister of Interior Kakha Targamadze and opposition leader Davit Gamkrelidze (New Rights Party) were unable to quell the controversy surrounding their meetings in Berlin (reftel),despite ample opportunity to do so. Aleksandre Ebralidze, a Georgian businessman in St. Petersburg with alleged close ties to organized crime and Russian authorities, announced publicly that he would be happy to fund the non-parliamentary opposition. In another opposition-related scandal, Salome Zourabichvili (Georgia's Way) and Zviad Dzidziguri (Conservative Party) denounced the discovery of listening devices in their parties' offices and accused the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) of planting them. MOIA Deputy Minister Eka Zguladze has denied MOIA involvement. End Summary. ZOURABICHVILI PROMISES LARGE-SCALE RALLY PLANNED DURING VP'S VISIT ¶2. (SBU) After meeting on June 29, non-parliamentary opposition leaders announced plans to hold a large-scale rally during the Vice President's visit in late July to demonstrate to the international community the opposition's strength in Georgia. Salome Zourabichvili (Georgia's Way) explained that the rally will "get the country back on the democratic track" and will "demonstrate Georgia's pro-Western stance" and "democratic aspirations." Zourabichvili gave no other specifics. Levan Gachechiladze announced that the non-parliamentary opposition would rally in front of the Czech Embassy on July 1 during a Czech reception to mark the end of their EU presidency. Gachechiladze also announced that he would make a statement on July 4 to reaffirm plans to protest during VP Biden's visit. KAKHA TARGAMADZE FALLOUT ¶3. (C) The non-parliamentary opposition's reputation and credibility appeared to further deteriorate this weekend. Gamkrelidze and Targamadze's uneven performances on talk shows in which both claimed the Kremlin had ordered Russian businessmen to stop funding the non-parliamentary opposition was quickly refuted. The president of a Georgian diaspora union in Russia, Mikheil Khubutia, denied Gamkrelidze's claim that the Russian authorities have prevented local Georgian businessmen from financing opposition activities in Georgia, maintaining that such businessmen are free to send money to Georgia for this purpose. As if in response to Gamkrelidze and Targamadze, Ebralidze, an ethnic Georgian businessman and Russian citizen based in St. Petersburg who has an admitted criminal past; connections to the Russian authorities; and has announced his intentions to run for president of Georgia; stated his willingness to fund the non-parliamentary opposition. Overall, Targamadze appeared via satellite and gave a convoluted forty-minute interview on Inga Grigolia's popular talk show without clarifying why he met with Gachechiladze and Gamkrelidze abroad. Targamadze later stated that he had information that Gachechiladze might be assassinated but provided no specifics, hinting that such an assassination could be done by those looking to cause chaos in Georgia. ¶4. (C) Gamkrelidze appeared evasive during a twenty-minute interview on Positsiya, in which he criticized President Qinterview on Positsiya, in which he criticized President Sakashvili instead of answering questions about his contact with Targamadze. Following the interview, Gamkrelidze told a newspaper that he barely knew Kakha Targamadze having met only once in Parliament. (Embassy Comment: Gamkrelidze's assertion is strange in that it is common knowledge that when Targamadze was Minister of Interior, Gamkrelidze used his relationship with Targamadze to create a virtual monopoly on car insurance. It is rumored that both made considerable money through the Aldagi Insurance Company. End Comment.) Parliamentary opposition leader and Vice-Speaker Levan Vephkhvadze (Christian Democratic Movement) slammed Gamkrelidze and questioned his credibility saying that 2001 might be repeating itself. Vephkhvadze said that "Badri Patarkatsishvili once told me that he had funded the creation of New Rights and that Kakha Targamadze was a mediator in the process". OPPOSITION OFFICES BUGGED? ¶5. (SBU) In another opposition-related scandal, on June 29, TBILISI 00001212 002 OF 002 Zourabichvili denounced the discovery of hidden listening devices in electrical sockets in her party's main office. She stated that the bugs were found in a room where opposition leaders usually hold meetings. She accused MoIA of planting the bugs, likening the event to Watergate. Police inspected the office and have opened an investigation into the case. Dzidziguri demanded that the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vano Merabishvili resign after he discovered bugs in the Conservative Party office on June 30. Ombusdman Sozar Subari said he was sure the MoIA had planted bugs in every political party and NGO office. Deputy Minister of Interior, Eka Zguladze said that the type of bugs found can be bought on the open market and that the MoIA had not used such bugs for over six years. TEFFT