VZCZCXRO8230
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSI #2843/01 3201151
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161151Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8199
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 002843 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: TBILISI PROTESTS: SITREP NO. 8 
 
REF: TBILISI 2822 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Parliament Votes to End State of Emergency 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶1. (U) Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze announced the 
Parliament voted by a margin of 153 to 6 on November 15 to 
lift the state of emergency November 16 at 7:00 p.m., 
allowing the country to return to "normal life."  In a 
November 15 meeting with EUR DAS Matthew Bryza, Burjanadze 
said she expects to take over as acting President 
 
                      after Saakashvili's resignation on 
November 24. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Speaker Burjanadze Meets with Opposition 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U)  Burjanadze, Vice-Speaker Machavariani and MP Giga 
Bokeria met for two hours with opposition leaders from the 
Conservatives, Republicans, New Rights, and Industrialists on 
November 16 to negotiate changes to the election code.  The 
New Rightists and Industrialist representatives said an 
agreement was reached on principal issues, including an 
agreement to secure Irakli Batiashvili's release, which will 
happen after the newly-elected president signs the order in 
January. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Republican Party leader Tina Khidasheli said no 
agreement was reached on any important matters, showing the 
fractures in the opposition.  Machavariani accused the 
opposition of issuing ultimatums, and added that some of the 
parties (read Republicans and Conservatives) are trying to 
sabotage the negotiations and make "radical demands."   Most 
of the disagreement is over the composition of the Central 
Election Commission.  Conservative leader Kakha Kukava said 
after the meeting "we are currently deadlocked, but dialogue 
will continue."  The Conservatives then released a press 
statement accusing the authorities of refusing to cease 
political repression and to allow Imedi to broadcast 
immediately.  (Note: Our understanding is that the government 
wants to ensure monitoring is in place before Imedi reopens). 
 United National Council of Opposition (UNC) member Gia 
Tortladze said the opposition is considering a rally after 
the state of emergency is lifted.  He also said the UNC will 
organize protests if the government's actions are inadequate 
and Imedi is not allowed to resume broadcasting. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Parliament Endorses Election Code Change 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Parliament approved the first reading of a draft 
package of amendments to the Electoral Code which includes 
providing free broadcast time to candidates, reducing the 
maximum number of voters at each polling station from 2000 to 
1500, and expanding the rights of foreign observers. 
Opposition New Rightists and Industrialist MPs took part in 
the vote, but members of the UNC abstained. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Opposition Leader Khaindrava Questioned 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U)  Goga Khaindrava, a leader in the UNC and former State 
Minister for Conflict Resolution, was questioned for four 
hours November 15 by the Interior Ministry's 
counterintelligence unit in connection with charges 
opposition leaders cooperated with Russian intelligence in an 
effort to overthrow the government.  Khaindrava's lawyer Eka 
Beselia was also present.  Khaindrava made a statement to 
journalists objecting to the accusations and saying it was 
natural he dealt with Russians on a regular basis while 
serving as State Minister. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Labor Party Leader Resurfaces in Georgia 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Opposition Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili made 
his first public appearance November 15 and met EU Special 
Representative to the South Caucasus Peter Semneby in 
Tbilisi. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Parliament Begins Work on Presidential Initiatives 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
 
TBILISI 00002843  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. (U) Parliamentary committees have begun work on several 
new presidential initiatives, including amnesty for 
non-violent criminals in prison and additional funding to the 
Academy of Sciences. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
Court Explains Reasons Behind Suspending Imedi TV's License 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶8. (U) The Tbilisi City Court released a statement November 
15 to clarify the reasons for the suspension of Imedi TV's 
broadcast license.  The statement called Imedi TV a "major 
tool" for organizing the demonstrations that eventually 
became violent.  The Court said the November 7 statement by 
co-owner Badri Patarkatsishvili "created an immediate and 
real threat of further escalation of tensions" and was 
inciting mass unrest. 
 
 
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