GEORGIA: PROTESTS - OPPOSITION APPEARS TO STEP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000894

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: PROTESTS - OPPOSITION APPEARS TO STEP
BACK, SAYS OPEN TO DIALOGUE

REF: TBILISI 0876

TBILISI 00000894 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: On May 7, a day after violence erupted
when opposition protesters charged a police station,
non-parliamentary opposition leaders indicated a new
willingness to engage in dialogue, although they did not
present a united message. Irakli Alasania (Alliance) called
for dialogue without preconditions. Others like Nino
Burjanadze called for dialogue, but only to discuss
Saakashvili's resignation. The non-parliamentary leaders as
a group issued a joint statement that called for a meeting
with Saakashvili, but also reaffirmed their demand for regime
change. The turnout for protests was slightly higher than
normal with 3000-5000 briefly attending a rally in front of
Parliament which quickly broke up due to heavy rain. The
non-parliamentary opposition's plans remain unclear, some
have indicated that protests and blocking roads will continue
as scheduled, others have remained mum. Speaker Bakradze
announced that he was trying to schedule a prelimnary
discussion on May 8 with Irakli Alasania and any other
opposition leader willing to take part; at mid-day May 8 the
non-parliamentary opposition was reportedly meeting to decide
how to respond to Bakradze's offer. President Saakashvili is
in Prague at the EU Eastern Partnership Summit and is due to
return to Tbilisi early May 9. End Summary.


2. (C) Comment: We have the impression that at least some
non-parliamentary leaders were shocked that they had "lost
control of the mob" when more radical leaders attempted to
enter a police station by force May 6, apparently on their
own initiative and led by the Gachechiladze brothers. The
non-parliamentary opposition seems in disarray and unsure how
to recover and regroup from the police station incident.
Fissures are becoming more apparent with hard-liners
conceding little, Alasania apparently ready to deal and
others still on the fence. Hard-liners among the group will
certainly try to rein in the moderates and continue along the
path to confrontation; however, any public statements
expressing an increased openness to dialogue, is a net
positive. We continue to push for all sides to engage in
meaningful dialogue, abide by the law and avoid violence.
End Comment.

Protest Numbers Increase Slightly


3. (C) After the May 6 violence, the number of protesters
who attended the daily "meeting" in front of the Parliament
increased from 1000-2000 to 3000-5000. Embassy observers
said the crowd was much more diverse than normal, in contrast
with the usual "rent-a-crowd". The increased numbers both in
the late evening on May 6, and on May 7, tend to indicate
that the confrontation galvanized at least some supporters
who had not been regularly attending the protests. At the
rally, the non-parliamentary opposition issued a joint
statement that expressed a willingness to meet with
Saakashvili to present him with their position on how to
overcome the crisis. They reiterated their demand for
Saakashvili's resignation and blamed Saakashvili's
"irresponsible and provocative actions" for the escalation of
violence. The statement was read by Gubaz Sanikidze
(National Forum). The non-parliamentary opposition leaders
urged supporters to hold a large scale rally on May 9 to mark
the one month anniversary of the protests. No further plans
were announced.

Alasania Says Dialogue Without Preconditions


4. (C) Alasania sent out a statement expressing his desire
Q4. (C) Alasania sent out a statement expressing his desire
to start talks saying that the "meeting should be held
without preconditions if we want to achieve real results."
No other non-parliamentary leaders have joined in his
statement. Nino Burjanadze (Democratic Movement - United
Georgia) said that she was ready to meet the President but
only to discuss his resignation. She added that she would
not obstruct others among the non-parliamentary group from
speaking with the GoG but did not see the point in discussing
other issues. Salome Zourabichvili (Georgia's Way) demanded
that Saakashvili "wake up and realize what is going on and
meet with them." Speaker Bakradze responded to Alasania's
statement for meeting without preconditions. He indicated
that he would like to hold a meeting on March 8 with any
opposition member willing to engage in a serious discussion
rather than to simply deliver ultimatums.

Three Youth Activists Allege Mistreatment in Custody


5. (SBU) According to the press, the three opposition
activists accused of beating a Georgia Public Broadcaster
journalist held a press conference May 7, alleging that they
were beaten up, threatened and verbally abused by police

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during their detention. We asked the Ministry of Internal
Affairs for a response since its May 7 statement alleged that
the detainees were not injured during their detention. We've
also reiterated our request for information regarding other
reported cases of opposition activists beaten during the
protests.
TEFFT