23.11.2005 - Source: Civil Georgia

Tbilisi: Hundreds of protesters held peaceful demonstration to protest against Rose Revolution, which brought into power President Saakashvili 2 years ago ("Anti-Rose Revolution Rally Held") [#41964],  [ID 4558]

Document(s): Open document

23.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Summary of developments around the "Rose Revolution" ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (Events of 2003)") [#21453],  [ID 4577]

"In November 2003, the 12-year-long regime of Eduard Shevardnadze, often criticized as undemocratic, was ended by the “Rose Revolution,” as the change of power was called by leaders of the mass demonstration that led to his ousting. Shevardnadze, a former soviet politburo member and KGB general, had come to power through a coup d’etat in 1992. His regime was marked with ethnic conflicts, a civil war, mass human rights violations, the suppression of political opponents, high rates of criminality and corruption and widespread poverty.

Hope for the future democratic development of Georgia combined with hope to overcome the old regime’s legacy were strong given the peaceful end of Shevardnadze’s era, the strong international support for the new government and the well-developed civil society institutions in the country.

On 22 November, following weeks of protests demanding Shevardnadze’s resignation, Mikheil Saakashvili, Shevardnadze’s former protégé and the leader of the opposition National Movement, led a group of protestors into the parliament while security forces escorted Shevardnadze out of the building. Opposition loyalists announced that they no longer recognized President Shevardnadze’s authority. Shevardnadze denounced the action as an attempted coup.

The opposition’s takeover of parliament pre-empted an attempt by Shevardnadze to convene the largely pro-president legislature on the basis of the official 2 November parliamentary election results, which had been rigged. An independent parallel vote count indicated that the opposition National Movement had received most votes, and that the opposition parties had outperformed pro-government forces by a significant margin.

While Nino Burjanadze, an opposition leader and speaker of the outgoing parliament, assumed presidential authority pending new elections, Shevardnadze sought to rally the army and interior ministry troops to his side. He announced a state of emergency on state television, and indicated that defense and interior ministry forces could be used to restore order. A large percentage of those forces, however, were already on Mikheil Saakashvili’s side. Saakashvili refused to negotiate with Shevardnadze. Eduard Shevardnadze announced his resignation on 23 November.

Georgian NGOs played an important role in developments following the November elections and in Eduard Shevardnadze’s peaceful departure. Two Georgian NGOs in particular, the Liberty Institute and the student-led association Kmara, led aggressive get-out-the-vote efforts before the 2 November elections and used their organizations to keep protests steady and visible afterwards. Shevardnadze criticized them for siding with Saakashvili and the rest of the opposition. He particularly criticized the Open Society–Georgia Foundation and philanthropist George Soros for allegedly helping to foment the anti-government protests."

Document(s): Open document
Open document

04.12.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

A series of blasts and acts of intimidation against politicians reported ("Georgia: Counter-Revolution Fears") [#18048],  [ID 4581]

Document(s): Open document

03.12.2003 - Source: International Crisis Group

Report focused on the political crisis which climaxed in the forced resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze on 23 November 2003 (background, what led to the revolution, ensuring the state continuity) ("Georgia: What now?") [#18024],  [ID 4582]

Document(s): Open document

18.11.2003 - Source: BBC News

An estimated 10,000 people have marched in Tbilisi to back President Eduard Shevardnadze ("President backers mass in Georgia") [#17694],  [ID 4586]

Document(s): Open document

16.11.2003 - Source: Civil Georgia

Opposition demands Shevardnadzes's resignation and prepares for the civil disobedience campaign against the authorities ("Protest Rally Takes Break, as Opposition Prepares for Civil Disobedience") [#17595],  [ID 4587]

Document(s): Open document

06.11.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

3 people injured as local nationalist activists opened fire on Saakashvili protestors on the oposition's mass rally in the western town of Zugdidi ("Georgia in Turmoil after Disputed Poll") [#17465],  [ID 4588]

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: Human Rights Center

00.10.2003 - HRIDC: Meetings of youth movement Kmara dispersed, participants beaten by police ("Monthly Bulletin 10 (56), October 2003") [#17235],  [ID 4589]

"On 10 October 10 in Tbilisi, police prevented the youth movement Kmara (Enough) from demonstrating in front of the State Chancellery whilst the residentially-backed election bloc “For New Georgia” was holding a presentation of its election platform.

Protesters were beaten by police according to reports. In addition seven activists were ar-rested and detained for two hours without being charged before they were finally released.

On 11 October police dispersed another anti-governmental protest rally from Kmara in the western Georgian city of Poti.

Kmara activists were beaten by police, some individuals reportedly receiving severe and mul-tiple injuries.

The Kmara activists tried to protest against President Shevardnadze who was visiting Poti.

The Rustavi 2 TV channel reported that its crew was also attacked by the police. Law en-forcement officers seized a video camera along with a tape showing the police beating the students."

Document(s): Open document

22.07.2003 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Political developments (historical background, upcoming elections) ("Reisebericht Georgien 18. - 25. Mai 2003") [#14436],  [ID 4591]

"Georgien erlangte im April 1991 seine Unabhängigkeit und hat seither eine Reihe
einschneidender politischer Veränderungen erfahren. 1995 wurde zum ersten Mal in der
Republik Georgien ein demokratisches Mehrparteiensystem in der Verfassung
festgeschrieben. Die Bildung eines Zwei-Kammern-Parlaments bestehend aus Obersten Rat
und Senat wurde am 24. August 1995 vom Parlament verabschiedet, aufgrund der Konflikte
in Abchasien und Süd-Ossetien und der noch immer ungelösten Frage der territorialen
Integrität ist der Senat allerdings bislang noch nicht zusammengetreten und Georgien
verfügt somit de facto über ein Ein-Kammer-Parlament.3 Die insgesamt 235 Abgeordneten
werden für jeweils vier Jahre ins Parlament gewählt. Seit den Parlamentswahlen vom 31.
Oktober und 14. November 1999 setzt sich das Parlament nach Angaben des OSZE Büros
für demokratische Institutionen und Menschenrechte (ODIHR) wie folgt zusammen: die
Bürgerunion (Sak'art'velos Mokalaketa Kavshiri) des Präsidenten Eduard Shevardnadzes
stellt 132 Abgeordnete (56,17%), die Union für die demokratische Wiedergeburt Georgiens
(Sruliad Sak'art'velos Aghordzinebis Kavshiri) verfügt über 58 Sitze (24.68%), das
‚Unternehmertum rettet Georgien’ (Mretsvelopba Gadaarchens Sak'art'velos) kommt auf 15
Sitze (6.38%), und die Georgische Arbeiterpartei konnte mit 2 Abgeordneten (0,85%) ins
Parlament einziehen. Weiters verfügen die Unabhängigen über 16 Sitze (6.80%), die
restlichen 12 Sitze werden von abchasischen Abgeordneten beansprucht.4
Die nächsten Parlamentswahlen werden am 2. November 2003 stattfinden, die
Präsidentschaftswahlen sind für April 2005 anberaumt.5
Die Republik Georgien setzt sich aus 63 Distrikten, den beiden autonomen Republiken
Abchasien und Adscharien sowie der autonomen Region Süd-Ossetien zusammen.6 Die
georgische Zentralregierung besitzt nach wie vor keine Regierungsgewalt über die
autonome Republik Abchasien und die autonome Region Süd-Ossetien. Beide Regionen
haben nach der Auflösung der Sowjetunion ihre Unabhängigkeit von Georgien erklärt. 2001
ist es wieder verstärkt zu militärischen Gefechten an der georgisch-abchasischen
Waffenstillstandslinie gekommen, obgleich der Waffenstillstand nach wie vor von einer von Russland geführten Friedenstruppe der Gemeinschaft Unabhängiger Staaten (GUS)
beobachtet wird und weiterhin eine Beobachtermission der Vereinten Nationen (UNOMIG)
entlang der Konfliktzone stationiert ist.7 Erst am 5. Juni 2003 wurden bei einer Kontrollfahrt
zwei deutsche Beobachter der Vereinten Nationen, ihr dänischer Kollege sowie ihr
Dolmetscher entführt, was die instabile Sicherheitslage in Georgien erneut unterstreicht. Die
Freilassung der UNOMIG Mitarbeiter wurde am 10. Juni 2003 von der deutschen
Bundesregierung bestätigt.8
Während der Interviews mit den GesprächspartnerInnen konnten nur sehr vereinzelt
Einschätzungen zur Situation in Abchasien und Süd-Ossetien vernommen werden, weshalb in
diesem Reisebericht auf ein eigenes Kapitel zu diesen beiden Konfliktregionen verzichtet
werden musste."

Document(s): Open document

01.07.2003 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Politicians prepare for critical election season ("Georgia: Politicians Prepare For Critical Election Season") [#34884],  [ID 4592]

"Georgia's parliament has broken for the summer recess -- in normal times, an opportunity for tempers to cool and for political bygones to be left as bygones. But not this year. There is too much at stake. November's parliamentary elections loom on the horizon -- and beyond them, presidential elections in 2005."

Document(s): Open document

05.06.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Protesters on a street rally, organised by the opposition, demanded President Shevardnadze's resignation/ 7 members of the Central Electoral Commission offered their resignation ("Protesters Demand Shevardnadze Resignation") [#13583],  [ID 4594]

Document(s): Open document

04.06.2003 - Source: Prima News

Opposition demanded president's Shevardnadzes resignation ("Opposition action of protest ends in Tbilisi") [#15868],  [ID 4590]

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2003 - Source: Caucasus Times

Mass fight of the two political opposing groups, pro-government political alliance 'For new Georgia' and opposing 'United national movement' party, turned into a riot in Gory city ("Fight between opposing groups turn into riot in Georgia's Gory") [#15224],  [ID 4595]

Document(s): Open document