US Suggests Election Guidelines to Georgia

Opposition, Government Hail US Proposal

Dispatched by the US President former Secretary of State James Baker delivered to the opposition and President Shevardnadze US-suggested guidelines for holding free and fair Parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 2.

James Baker arrived in Georgia on July 5 and held a meeting with the Georgian President and opposition leaders on the same day. “The mission’s primary objective will be to discuss with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze ways to advance political and economic reform in Georgia through free and fair Parliamentary elections this fall,” the White House said in a news release on July 3.

“We in America are of course very anxious that these elections be free and fair,” James Baker said at the news briefing on July 6. 

According to the guidelines election commission at all levels, including Central Election Commission should be composed with the five representatives of the pro-Presidential political parties. Opposition parties will be presented in the commission with the nine members. The Chairman of the CEC will be appointed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which according to the proposal should be respected and non-politically motivated person.

James Baker also delivered list of 10 recommendations aiming at holding free and fair elections. The US recommends to the opposition and government adopting a new election code before August 2, to agree over composition of the CEC before August 1. The guideline also urges the authorities to computerize and post exact list of voters on the web before September 1.

Baker’s mission in Georgia took place on the background of the deadlock, which persisted between the government and opposition for months over the rule of composition of the CEC. It is anticipated that the US involvement in the Georgian election process will trigger a breakthrough of stalemate.

The opposition leaders, as well as the pro-governmental election alliance welcomed the recommendation. At the news briefing on July 6 Zurab Zhvania of the United Democrats opposition party thanked the US administration for “great interest towards the elections in Georgia.”

“It was very wise decision to dispatch Mr. James Baker in Georgia, which is Shevardnadze’s old friend. That is why involvement of Baker in election process would not cause any irritation neither of opposition, nor the President,” Zurab Zhvania said at the news briefing today. 

However opposition fears that the authorities might not take into consideration the US recommendations.

“Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, which accompanied James Baker in Georgia stays in Tbilisi to further convince the government to agree on the proposal,” Zurab Zhvania said.

The Presidential-backed election alliance held a meeting on July 6 to discuss the recommendations proposed by the United States.

“To say the truth we are not really glad with this proposal, however we will do our best to ensure fair and free elections,” one of the leaders of the Presidential-backed election alliance Vakhtang Rcheulishvili said on July 6.

“We are ready to agree on the proposed guidelines. But I don’t understand the mechanism, how the OSCE can appoint the Chairman of the CEC, but I think the proposal is acceptable,” another leader of the Presidential-backed election alliance Irina Sarishvili-Chanturia said.

The OSCE’s role in Georgia’s elections might become clearer during the visit of the OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis, which arrived in Tbilisi on July 6.

During the meeting with Eduard Shevardnadze, Jakes Baker also discussed the US-Georgian cooperation on counterterrorism and other security matters, including the settlement of the Abkhaz conflict.

Baker delivered President Bush’s letter to Eduard Shevardnadze. Georgian President said after the meeting with US envoy that the American President talks not only about upcoming elections, but also regarding the Abkhaz issue in his letter.

“New and hopeful proposals have been discussed with Mr. Baker regarding the settlement of the Abkhaz conflict,” Eduard Shevardnadze said. “Unfortunately I can not make any other comments right now. I will talks about this later,” he added.

Some Georgian politicians speculated that Baker’s visit aimed at urging the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze. James Baker denied these rumors.

“Nothing can be further from the truth,” Baker said on July 6. “President Shevardnadze has been a good friend of the United States,” he added.

By Giorgi Sepashvili, Tea Gularidze Civil Georgia