Sakartvelos Leiboristuli Sromis Partia translates from Georgian as the Labour (Shromis) Party of Georgia (Leftist Parties of the World 19 Sept. 2003; UNAG n.d.). Please consult GGA39074.E of 24 May 2002 for information concerning the Labour Party, including its date of formation, founding members and membership size.

Rose Revolution, 24 November 2003

According to results of the 2 November 2003 parliamentary election, Shromis received 12 per cent of the vote and 20 parliamentary seats (ITAR-TASS 20 Nov. 2003; RFE/RL 21 Nov. 2003). However, accusations that the government of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze rigged the elections led to opposition protests throughout the month of November 2003 (IWPR 24 Nov. 2003; The National Post 15 Nov. 2003). Protest leaders included the opposition party leaders Mikhail Saakashvili of the National Movement bloc (EM), Nino Burdjanadze (Burdzhanadze) of the Democratic Party (The Moscow Times 14 Nov. 2003; IWPR 13 Nov. 2003). On 24 November 2003, in the face of renewed popular protest, a number of powerful political leaders, including President Shevardnadze, resigned from office in what has been called the "rose revolution" (IWPR 24 Nov. 2003; CACA 3 Dec. 2003, 3). In the wake of the resignations, the results of the 2 November 2003 election were declared void (ibid.) and scheduled to be rerun 28 March 2004 (RIA Novosti 12 Jan. 2004). In the meantime, Burdjanadze took upon the role of acting-president for Georgia until presidential elections slated for 4 January 2004 (RFE/RL 26 Nov. 2003). On 5 January 2004, Saakashvili was declared the winner of the election after receiving 86 per cent of the vote (Zaman 6 Jan. 2004).

The Labour Party is described as being an opposition party that is critical of both the Shevardnadze government and protest leaders (ITAR-TASS 20 Nov. 2003). In early November 2003, party officials stated that Shromis would not join forces with the opposition parties leading the protest (RFE/RL 5 Nov. 2003) and party leader Shalva Natelashvili denounced the public protests (ITAR-TASS 5 Nov. 2003), directing supporters to not become involved (Kavkasia Press 8 Nov. 2003). After the fall of Shevardnadze, Natelashvili denounced the interim government as a "terrorist dictatorship" (RFE/RL 26 Nov. 2003).

Treatment of the Labour Party (2003 - 2004)

For information concerning the treatment of the Labour Party before 2003, please consult GGA40390.E of 15 November 2002 and GGA39074.E of 24 May 2002.

Current information on the treatment of the Labour Party in 2003 is limited among the sources consulted. In August 2003, accusations of fraud levelled against a Labour Party member by the Fatherland (Samshoblo) Party led to a street brawl between members of the two parties outside of the Labour Party's Tbilisi headquarters (AP 4 Aug. 2003; Interfax 4 Aug. 2003). No one was killed in the altercation, despite reports that weapons were fired (AP 4 Aug. 2003); however, approximately ten persons were hospitalized (ibid.; Interfax 4 Aug. 2003; RFE/RL 5 Aug. 2003). Four Fatherland Party members were arrested at the scene (ibid.) and three were remanded for three-months pre-trial detention on 7 August 2003 (ibid. 8 Aug. 2003).

On 29 November 2003, a bomb was placed or thrown from a car at the party's headquarters in Tbilisi by unknown assailants, causing minor property damage and no injuries (UPI 29 Nov. 2003; AFP 29 Nov. 2003). Natelashvili blamed the explosion on the interim government, citing the Labour party's popularity as the impetus for the attack (Imedi TV 29 Nov. 2003; UPI 29 Nov. 2003; AFP 29 Nov. 2003). In a press conference concerning this event, Natelashvili claimed that since the 4 August 2003 street fight, the party had received "telephone calls and warnings," including one on the morning of the explosion (Imedi TV 29 Nov. 2003). He blamed members of the interim administration and specifically Minister of State Zurab Zhvania, Saakashvili and Burjanadze for the harassment, claiming also that future "[s]erious acts of provocation are planned" against the Labour Party (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Press (AFP). 29 November 2003. "Explosion in Georgia Targets Pro-Shevardnadze Labor Party Headquarters." (FBIS-SOV-2003-1129 1 Dec. 2003/Dialog)

Associated Press (AP). 4 August 2003. "Fight Breaks Out Between Rival Members of Political Parties in Tbilisi." (Dialog)

Central Asia and Caucasus Analyst (CACA) [Baltimore]. 3 December 2003. Claude Zullo. "Georgia's Rose Revolution Rooted in Law." http://www.cacianalyst.org [Accessed 13 Jan. 2004]

Imedi Television [Tbilisi, in Georgian]. 29 November 2003. "Georgian Labour Party Accuses New Authorities of Terrorizing Opponents." (BBC Monitoring 1 Dec. 2003/ Eurasia Geopolitics List Service [Yahoo Groups]) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eurasia-geopolitics/message/39397 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2003]

Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) [London]. 24 November 2003. Georgia Alert. No. 01. Revaz Sakevarishvili and Margarita Akhvlediani. "'Rose Revolution' Sweeps Away Shevardnadze." Received by E-mail.

_____. 13 November 2003. Caucasian Reporting Service. No. 204. Giorgy Lomsadze. "'Georgia: Opposition Increases the Pressure." Received by E-mail.

Interfax [Moscow]. 4 August 2003. "Ten People Injured in Fight Between Opposition Groups in Georgia." (FBIS-SOV-2003-0804 5 Aug. 2003/Dialog)

ITAR-TASS [Moscow]. 20 November 2003. "Two Opposition Blocs to Boycott New Georgian Parliament." (FBIS-SOV-2003-1120 21 Nov. 2003/ Dialog)

_____. 5 November 2003. "Georgian Speaker Says Opposition Meetings Pose No Destabilizing Threat." (FBIS-SOV-2003-1105 6 Nov. 2003/Dialog)

Kavkasia Press [Internet Version, in Georgian]. 8 November 2003. "Georgia: Opposition Leader Accuses President of Masterminding Protests." (FBIS-SOV-2003-1108 10 Nov. 2003/Dialog)

Leftist Parties of the World. 19 September 2003. "Georgia." http://www.broadleft.org/ge.htm [Accessed 14 Jan. 2004]

The Moscow Times. 14 November 2003. Margarita Antidze. "Georgian Talks Left in Disarray." http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/11/14/011.html [Accessed 14 Nov. 2003]

The National Post [Toronto]. 15 November 2003. Peter Goodspeed. "Georgian Leader Warns of Civil War." http://www.nationalpost.com [Accessed 17 Nov. 2003]

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 26 November 2003. Newsline. Vol. 7, No. 223. Liz Fuller. "New Georgian Presidential Leadership Names Presidential Candidate Who Might Face Little Competition." http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/11/2-TCA/tca-261103.asp [Accessed 22 Jan. 2004]

_____. 21 November 2003. Newsline. Vol. 7, No. 220. Liz Fuller. "Georgian Election Results Announced." http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/11/2-TCA/tca-211103.asp [Accessed 21 Jan. 2004]

_____. 5 November 2003. Weekday Magazine. Jean-Christophe Peuch. "Georgia: Internal Divisions Over Validity of Vote Threaten to Split Opposition, Dilute Protests." http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/2003/11/02112003183409.asp [Accessed 6 Nov. 2003]

_____. 8 August 2003. Newsline. Vol. 7, No. 150. Liz Fuller. "Georgian Opposition Activists Remanded for Brawl." http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/08/2-TCA/tca-080803.asp [Accessed 21 Jan. 2004]

_____. 5 August 2003. Newsline. Vol. 7, No. 147. Liz Fuller. "Ten Injured in Fight Between Georgian Opposition Parties." http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/08/2-TCA/tca-050803.asp [Accessed 21 Jan. 2004]

Russian Information Agency Novosti (RIA Novosti) [Moscow]. 12 January 2004. "Georgia's Labourists to Run for Parliament." http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm [Accessed 14 Jan. 2004]

United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG), Tbilisi (in Georgian). n.d. "SaqarTvelos Leiboristuli (Sromis) Partia." (Elections.ge) http://elections.civil.ge/part_4_geo.shtml [Accessed 22 Jan. 2004]

United Press International (UPI). 29 November 2003. "Georgia's Twisted Politics Turn Violent." (Dialog)

Zaman [Tbilisi]. 6 January 2004. "Saakasvili New Georgian Leader." (Eurasia Geopolitics Newsletter No. 2231 5 Jan. 2003) Received by E-mail.