Letter of Georgian Politicians to the Brussels Donors’ Conference

Open Letter
To Mrs Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Mr. Shigeo Katsu, Co-chairs of the Donors Conference to be held in Brussels, October 22nd, 2008

We, the representatives of Georgian civil society and the democratic opposition not present at the Donors’ Conference and not represented by the official Georgian governmental delegation, also wish to be heard and have our voices taken into consideration at the time when Georgia’s prospects and the support that is being given to our people is being discussed and decided upon.

We wish to express our gratitude to the European Union as well as the international organisations and our long-time American partners for their active involvement and support of Georgian statehood and our territorial integrity. We value dearly the enormous assistance which was provided to reach a ceasefire and all the efforts to ensure the beginning of the withdrawal of Russian forces.

We expect that in having put so much effort into ending this tragic war, the international community will help us not only to overcome the humanitarian tragedy and the current plight of our IDPs, but also to establish effective mechanism which will ensure that similar tragedy is not repeated in the future.

Without minimising or excusing the unforgivable – the illegal Russian invasion and the shameful bombing of Georgian territory, we nevertheless acknowledge the responsibility of the Georgian authorities to have been provoked and launched the military operation in Tskhinvali which led to the large-scale military aggression by Russia and the civilian losses amongst our compatriots in the region, irrespective of their ethnic origin.

We urge the international community to ensure that the funds allocated for Georgia be used in priority for the specific purpose of establishing appropriate living conditions for the IDPs and recovering the socio-economic damage rather than for regime strengthening. Financial support should be delivered through the most direct channels and with the utmost of transparency and a within a strict monitoring mechanism which avoids unconditional funding.

Any additional funds available should go to supporting concrete democratisation programmes, for democracy is the only effective guarantee against military adventures and it is the very lack of democracy which bears responsibility for what has happened.

In the democratic field, the most urgent needs are in the fields of the media, the judiciary and the electoral processes:

– media independence has to be reasserted. To that effect, the establishment of an International Monitoring Mission could be considered. The mission could supervise and control media independence, airtime, distribution of licenses, property rights and the transparency of ownership.

– Independence of the judiciary. The re-conduction of the existing ESDP Rule of Law mission and its extension to a second phase of more direct supervising of the functioning of the judiciary should be envisaged and financed.

– The re-foundation of the electoral system and administration to be conducted under direct supervision and monitoring of the international community, including the secondment of foreign experts to preside over the Central Election Commission.

Strict conditionality is indispensable so that the authorities feel that they have not only to say the right words but also to act correspondingly:

– In the media field: the immediate return of the property rights and the reinstatement of the legitimate ownership of Imedi television. This would be in line with the decisions taken by European courts confirming authentic owner’s property rights.

– In the political field: the immediate abolishment of the new law adopted at the time of the elections which retroactively deprived the political opposition parties from public financing.

– In the judiciary field: taking into immediate consideration the recommendations contained in the Ombudsman’s report 2007/2008

All the above mentioned issues are of paramount value for the country’s democratic development as well for overcoming the serious political crisis. In order to launch the process of their immediate implementation, we, the under-signatures, count upon your support and at the same time agree that, it is only the real intent, truthful decision and the corresponding political will of the President of Georgia which is absolutely sufficient for this purpose.

Mrs. Nino Burjanadze,
Former President of the Georgian Parliament,
President of the Foundation for Democracy and Development

Mr. Levan Gachechiladze,
One of the leaders of the ‘United Opposition’

Mr. David Gamkrelidze,
Leader of the political party ‘New Rights’

Mr. Kakha Kukava,
One of the leaders of the political party ‘Conservative Party’

Mr. Davit Usupashvili,
Leader of the political party ‘Republican Party’

Mrs. Salome Zourabishvili,
Georgia’s Former Foreign Minister,
Leader of the political party ‘The Way of Georgia’