November 12, 2007
Press Question and Answers DAS Bryza in Tbilisi
November 12, 2007 at the State Chancellery after meeting PM
Question 1: Reuters News Reporter:
What did you talk about in your meeting with the Prime Minister today?
Answer 1: DAS Bryza:
The Prime Minister and I walked through the concerns of the United States Government and the message that I was asked to carry by Secretary of State Rice, which is that we have suggestions that to restore momentum of democratic reform. And to make sure that these elections that will be held on January 5th and then at some point may be sooner than expected for Parliament are seen as fully free and fair. And to do that it is essential that a couple of steps be taken right away which is lifting of the state of emergency and restoring all television broadcasts. So as we like to do here we have deep friendships and contacts with the government here. We try to think through how to make sure these steps can take place. So, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking through next steps.
Question 2: Reuters Television:
When can we expect the state of emergency lifted?
Answer 2: DAS Bryza:
Well, it is certainly not my determination; this is the government’s determination here. We have said from the beginning immediately, we would like to see it lifted immediately - it is our preference. I get the sense and we’ve heard statements in recent days that this government is moving to lift it quite quickly.
Question 3: BBC Matthew Collin:
You spoke of concerns, could you tell me more about which concerns specifically you have?
Answer 3: DAS Bryza:
Sure, we all, everybody who cares about democracy everybody who cares about stability in this region has vested interest in Georgia’s success, success as a vibrant democracy. It is that aspect of Georgia since the Rose Revolution that elevated Georgia’s strategic importance for us. In the long past, in the past we talked of Georgia in terms of energy pipelines, and there was President Shevardnadze who was very popular, there was security cooperation; but today what makes Georgia a top tier issues for the United States Government is democracy. So, obviously what happened in recent weeks has been a shock to the system - as the voters of Georgia themselves seem to feel, or at least the protesters feel. So our concern is that this momentum of democratic development be restored as quickly as possible; and we are talking through the practical steps to bring that about.
Question 4: Channel One, Georgian Public Television:
Mr. Bryza, you have also met with the Opposition.
Answer 4: DAS Bryza
Just as with the Prime Minister and other governmental officials we talk about the responsibility of the government to restore faith in democracy, so with the Opposition leaders do we talk about their responsibility to rejuvenate democratic reform processes. When people are demonstrating in the streets they have enormous responsibility for the well-being of the protesters and for the country. So I wanted to hear the specific concerns of the Opposition leaders, not just the political concerns that we are well aware of in terms of changing the electoral law and moving elections up sooner, but also the concerns about the physical safety of protesters – these are very important concerns. We want to make sure that people don’t have anything to fear if they’re going to protest peacefully. Also, though, there is another side of responsibility, which is that the demands that are issued not be incendiary, not incite people to violence - that they truly do help plot a path forward to rejuvenate the democratic reform process. So we were exchanging views on the practicality and how to achieve very practical demands of the opposition.
Question 5: NTV [in Georgian]:
Has the Government assured you that there was some need to prolong the State of Emergency? As we understand the American position, you wanted the State of Emergency to be lifted after the first two days.
Answer 5: DAS Bryza
What is assuring is that we are having very substantive discussion about practical steps to come to the situation of the lifting of the state of emergency and the restoring of broadcasts. We’re having a very meaningful discussion. Similarly with the Opposition we had a constructive and meaningful discussion. The challenge is to make sure that those constructive and meaningful discussions are happening between the Government leaders and the Opposition leaders. We are not a mediator, right? I am just here as a representative of my government who is trying to smooth the communication as much as possible between the parties.
Ambassador Tefft:
Okay, we’ve got to go to another meeting. Thank you very much.
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