Open Letter of NGO Coalition for Democracy

November 4, 2007  Tbilisi, Georgia

To the President of the United States of America Mr. George W. Bush
To the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mrs. Nancy Pelosi
To the United States Secretary of State Mrs. Condoleezza Rice

Dear Mr. President,
Dear Mrs. Speaker,
Dear Mrs. Secretary of State,

We, the representatives of civil society of Georgia, wish to draw your attention to the serious internal political crisis in our country. More than one hundred thousand of people, thousands among them coming from distant provinces, gathered in a mass rally in front of the House of Parliament since November 2, 2007 demand from the government of Georgia to respond to the opposition parties’ request to return the country to democratic norms and principles. Government tries to qualify this event as an ordinary manifestation, but we believe that this is really a large-scale manifestation of popular protest. The major demands are not to prolong the constitutionally determined term of the current parliament beyond four years, to abolish recently adopted constitutional changes allowing the elections to be held in the fall of 2008 instead of April 2008 and to ensure a democratic election code. Beyond these understandable and legitimate requests, the main motivation expressed by the rally has been that the government ignores any different opinion and criticism, refuses to directly engage in dialogue with people and promotes selective justice which undermines human security in the country.

President Saakashvili has not made any comment or reaction personally. The responses from the majority leaders to the protesters’ demands were not cooperative, and their comments have gone as far as accusing the protesters of being engaged in a plot organized by the opposition leaders with financial support of an oligarch (and a huge banner ridiculing that alleged plot was hung out on the street wall facing the rally), and the state-controlled TV comments indiscriminately depicted the rallying people as being associated with those who are led by Moscow, and are against Georgia’s NATO membership (?!). This has further fuelled the situation in the center of the capital Tbilisi.

As the President of Georgia did not react in any way to the concerns expressed by a great number of Georgians, and the responses and explanations people heard from official representatives of the Georgian government and parliament were deemed as uncompromising, the rally continues, the slogans have radicalized, and now on top of all other demands is the demand for the President of Georgia to resign.

Facing the situation where neither side intends to give in, and in view of the possible destructive consequences of the current confrontation, we kindly ask you, the highly esteemed friends, supporters and strategic allies of Georgia, to intervene with your constructive advice to the Georgian authorities in order to mitigate the situation and obtain space for dispute resolution. Our position is that the President of Georgia should be strongly advised to give a public statement and engage in a direct dialogue with the people as soon as possible. The moment when pursuing a ‘closed-door diplomacy’ may be counter-productive has arrived. The opposition’s initial demands should be responded to in a constructive manner, and the decision to hold the next parliamentary elections in April 2008 should be made. This would help prevent possible complications and incidents, as well as spreading frustration in people, and restore the supremacy of the Constitution of Georgia.

Sincerely and respectfully,

On behalf of the Georgian NGO Coalition for Democracy,
Members of the Coalition Coordinative Committee:

Dr. George Khutsishvili, Director, International Center on Conflict and Negotiation
Mr. Giorgi Chkheidze, Chairman, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association
Mrs. Nana Kakabadze, Chair, Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights;
Mr. Ucha Nanuashvili, Executive Director, Human Rights Center
Mr. Irakli Sesiashvili, Director, Association “Justice and Liberty”
Mrs. Nina Tsihistavi, Chair, the Caucasus Women’s Network
Mrs. Irina Putkaradze, Chair, “Healthy World”
Mr. Arnold Stepanian, Chair, Public Movement Multinational Georgia
Mr. Zakaria Kutsnashvili, Chair, Association “Law for People”
Mr. Nukri Kvelashvili, Coordinator, “Youth Association for Social Sciences” Movement “Youth Alternative”
Mr. Koba Bochorishvili, Chair, Center for the Protection of Constitutional Rights
Mrs. Manana Kobakhidze, Chair, Association “Article 42 of the Constitution”
Mr. Alex Shoshikelashvili, Chair, Network for the Protection of Constitutional Rights
Mr. Lasha Chkhartishvili, Member of the Board, “Egalitarian Institute”
Mrs. Irma Inashvili, Member of the Board, Journalists’ Union “Objective”