Rose Revolution
The Rose Revolution ( Georgia ვარდების რევოლუცია vardebis revolucia ) took place in Georgia in 2003, led to the resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze and brought the former opposition to power. The term was borrowed from a quote of the first Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, "We will throw roses instead of bullets to our enemies. " Rose Revolution is one of a series of political upheavals, the color revolutions.
Prehistory
Since 1992, Georgia was ruled by President Shevardnadze. Although his government introduced democratic principles in the country, but did not change the traditional ruling clan and economic corruption. From the World Bank and development programs of the U.S. government and the European Union seeped into the underground economy. Georgia was one of the poorest countries in the world. The president's family took advantage of the prevailing structures for personal financial gain and was getting richer.
At the same time it did not succeed Shevardnadze to an internally Georgia after years of civil war. The autonomous republics of Abkhazia and Adjara and the autonomous region of South Ossetia developed under his rule to stabilized de facto regimes that were ruled by dictators who stood no choice.
At the parliamentary elections on November 2, 2003, a change of power in Georgia seemed imminent. It had two strong opposition alliances formed, who had already won the 2002 regional elections. It was the United National Movement under the leadership of former Justice Minister Mikheil Saakashvili and Burjanadze - Democrats, the Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze and her predecessor in office, Zurab Zhvania. You against the electoral alliance of the President, For a New Georgia, and the Union stood for Democratic rebirth of Aslan Abashidze adjarian dictator.
On November 2, 2003, elections were held to the Georgian Parliament. They were judged forged by local and international observers as largely. Saakashvili explained on the basis of electoral demands of institutions to the election winner and urged Georgians to demonstrate against Shevardnadze and to engage in civil disobedience against the government. The two major opposition coalitions banded together and demanded the removal of Shevardnadze and a repeat of the election.
On November 10, the director Giorgi Khaindrava, the writer Dawit Turaschwili as well as the staff of Tbilisi Freedom Institute Giga Bokeria and Dawit Zurabishvili formed a committee for civil resistance, which campaigned in universities, organizations and the province for action against the government. Saakashvili traveled to West Georgia, turned in the regions of Samegrelo and Imereti especially to supporters of Zviad Gamsakhurdia former president. He remembered doing the quote Gamsakhurdia "We will throw roses instead of bullets on our enemies " and attracted around 30,000 people to come to Tbilisi.
In mid-November began massive anti-government demonstrations in the streets of the center of Tbilisi, which soon also seized all the major cities of Georgia. The opposition youth organization Kmara! (Eng. Enough! ) joined the protests. Shevardnadze's government was supported by a dictator of Adjara Aslan Abashidze. He sent thousands of his followers to Tbilisi to hold a counter-demonstration.
Change of power
On 22 November, the day of the inaugural meeting of the respected as illegitimate Parliament, the demonstrations reached their peak. Under the leadership of Saakashvili opposition supporters stormed with roses in the hands of the parliament building, located procured access to the meeting room and interrupted the opening speech, President Shevardnadze. Saakashvili called the old President to: " Stand back! " There was a scuffle. The president fled with his bodyguards from the building. A little later he declared a state of emergency and began to mobilize in his nearby residence troops and police units. But the elite troops refused to obey the government.
On the evening of 23 November to Shevardnadze met with the opposition leaders Saakashvili and Zhvania to negotiate. The meeting had been agreed by the Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who had flown from Moscow to Tbilisi. After the meeting, the president announced his resignation. The news prompted euphoria in the streets of Tbilisi. More than 100,000 protesters were celebrating the resignation of the entire night with fireworks and rock concerts.
The former Parliament Speaker Burjanadze declared itself had been held for incumbent state president until new elections. The Supreme Court of Georgia annulled the election, except for the won in constituencies direct mandates. On January 4, 2004 opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili won a landslide victory in presidential elections and was inaugurated on January 25. On March 28, the Georgian Parliament was elected. The carriers of the Rose Revolution came with a united party under the name of National Movement - Democrats on and won an absolute majority. The rights of opposition initially formed the only opposition group in Parliament.
Adjara
In May 2004 the so-called Second Rose Revolution took place in the capital of Adjara, Batumi instead. After months of extreme tension between the central government of Saakashvili and Abashidze adjarian dictator mobilized the National Movement - Democrats and Kmara! several thousand Adscharier against Abashidze's policy. Abashidze sparked the demonstrations in the streets of Batumi and Kobuleti with paramilitary groups and the military. However, not succeeded in intimidating his opponents. The protests were instead of numerous and massive.
On 6 May 2004, protesters gathered from all over Adjara Batumi. Meanwhile negotiated Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze of Adjara with Interior Minister Jemal Gogitidse about withdrawing its forces from the administrative border at the river Tscholoki and the inlet of Georgian special forces. Abashidze leaned the inevitable, declared his resignation on the same evening and flew to Moscow. President Saakashvili visited Batumi the next day, where he was greeted by revelers Adschariern as liberators.
Balance
The Rose Revolution was a model for other peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. During the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in November 2004 supporters of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko waving Georgian flags and Yushchenko welcomed the crowd with a red rose. The Chairman of the Georgian parliamentary committee for defense and security, Givi Targamadze was questioned by Ukrainian opposition leaders on techniques of nonviolent struggle. Later he advised during the Tulip Revolution in 2005 the leader of the Kyrgyz opposition.
It is said that after the Rose Revolution, a new era has begun in Georgia. While the West is viewed as a step towards greater democracy in Transcaucasia, represented others, including Shevardnadze and various Russian politicians, the opinion that there had been a coup "Made in America". You to emphasize the role of the company founded by George Soros Open Society Institute, which had financed the Georgian opposition.
In fact, Georgia's government has taken since 2004, several reforms and has taken strong measures against corruption. Nevertheless, several civil rights groups and the parliamentary opposition concern about authoritarian tendencies in Saakashvili's policies have expressed. In the government, show two years after the Rose Revolution sign of a return of the old clan economy. Georgian reformers, who were brought by the President from abroad in the government to enforce modern political concepts that have since been sidelined.
In November 2007, broke out in Tbilisi by the dissatisfaction with the Saakashvili regime mass protests. Tens of thousands of opposition supporters accused Saakashvili of authoritarianism and failure in the fight against poverty and corruption and called for his resignation. Saakashvili Thereupon the amount forcibly disperse by police forces and imposed a state of emergency. European media spoke of the end of the Rose Revolution.
In May 2011, it came back in Tbilisi protests against Saakashvili, which were resolved by the security forces violently. According to the former Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze up to 300 opposition activists were arrested.