Peaceful Change of Power in Georgia Can Be Viewed as Democratic Model by Michael Coleman Government revolutions donít usually turn out like thisówith rebels using roses instead of rifles to force a government leader to leave power peacefully. But thatís exactly what happened in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in late November 2003. A massive group of protestorsóoutraged at parliamentary elections that had been marred by irregularities and fraudótook over Parliament on the very day President Eduard Shevardnadze tried to open the legislative session. Some of the protestors handed roses to the police. And although Shevardnadze declared a state of emergency, he soon reconsidered and relinquished power without a fight. Levan Mikeladze, Georgiaís ambassador to the United States, views the non-violent change of power as a signal to other former Soviet countriesóand the worldóthat democracy works and has come to Georgia to stay. ìGeorgia can be seen as a model for non-violent revolution,î Mikeladze explained during a recent 90-minute interview at the Georgian Embassy. ìThe fact that this was a totally popular uprising and these developments came through peacefulness, I think it proves that the people of Georgia are very committed to European democracy. It can serve as a model for other countries, as well.î Mikeladze said Georgiaís new president, Mikhail Saakashvili, a Columbia University-educated lawyer who led the peaceful government takeover, is committed to helping other countries in the region ensure their own democratic future. He said Georgia, a picturesque nation of 4.4 million nestled between Russia and the Black Sea, aspires to become a democratic role model for its neighbors, who have struggled with the transition from communism. ìWe can serve as a beacon for democratic government in the region,î Mikeladze said. President Saakashvili, who visited Washington and met President Bush and other top U.S. officials in late February, is working hard to unify Georgiaís people, crack down on corruption and put its economy on a productive course, Mikeladze said. The ambassador added that the Bush administration seems to realize that a stable, democratic Georgia can help preserve Americaís own interests in the region. Saakashvili came to Washington to demonstrate that Georgia is worthy of Americaís help on matters ranging from security to the economy. ìHe wanted to establish a personal relationship with this administration, with President Bush and his team,î Mikeladze explained. ìHe wanted to rebuild their confidence in Georgia.î A major prerequisite of rebuilding that confidence is crushing corruption. Mikeladze said the separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have fueled corruption and allowed it to fester like an open wound on the Georgian economy. Negotiations continue to try to unify the separatist regions under the Georgian flag. Saakashvili has also been in contact with Aslan Abashidze, leader of the autonomous Adzharia province, in an attempt to end the feud between the Georgian president and the fiercely independent regional government. ìOne of the biggest sources, in my view, for the corruption is that Georgia did not fully control its own territory and those separatist regions became black holes in the Georgian economy,î the ambassador said. ìWhen a country cannot control its own territory, then of course those territories become a source of instability, economic decline and corruption.î Adding insult to injury, Chechen rebels have used the country as a travel corridor for years. Many of these refugees settled in Georgiaís Pankisi Gorge, further destabilizing the nation. Today, the Georgian government has control of the Gorge, but nearly 1,500 Chechen refugees remain there, said Mikeladze. The country has tried to address its problems with corruption in the past, creating the Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2000. The commission issued a report later in the fall of 2000 and a council was created to implement the reportís recommendations. Not much happened, however, until 2003, when the commission recommended that members of the Georgian traffic police be fired and prosecutedóa move widely viewed as a signal that the government was finally taking the problem seriously. Mikeladze also pointed out that the separatist movements didnít grow and flourish on their ownóa powerful neighbor encouraged the unrest for years. ìItís an open secret that Russia was a very serious part of those separatist movements in Georgia. They were not just an open observer of them but a direct participant in the conflict,î Mikeladze said. Of course, one canít discuss Georgiaís past or future without discussing its relationship with Russia. Mikeladze talked with The Washington Diplomat on March 15, one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin was re-elected. Mikeladze said open, honest dialogue between the two countries is critical to Georgiaís progress. He said Saakashvili and Putin met for four hours following the Georgian leaderís inauguration, and the talk managed to inject a better mood into the countriesí relations. ìThe biggest achievement of that visit was that they improved the overall climate in the Georgian-Russian relations,î he said. ìThe rhetoric has always been very negative and they managed to turn it into positive. ìOf course, that does not mean all problems will be solved overnight, but the climate is improved.î Perhaps the biggest ìproblemî between the two countries, at least in Georgian eyes, is the presence of Russian military installations on Georgian soil. ìThere are remnants of the Soviet Army but they are located in very sensitive areas,î Mikeladze said. ìThe presence of these foreign military troops creates tension.î Mikeladze said the two countries continue to negotiate the removal of Russian troops and tanks from Georgia, but not enough progress has been made. However, the ambassador added that at least under Putin, the Georgians know whom they are dealing with, unlike previous Russian administrations where it was often unclear who was making the decisions in what seemed like a decentralized government. ìPutin is a very strong ruler, a strong governor, and he has the confidence of his people,î Mikeladze said. ìHe is interested in the stability of Georgia, and he is dedicated to fighting terrorism in general.î But the United States, not Russia, is Georgiaís greatest ally in the fight against international terrorism. As part of a roughly $100 million annual assistance package to Georgia, the United States has conducted extensive training of the Georgian military and paramilitary forces. ìIn return, we fight terrorism,î Mikeladze said. ìIt is for the good of the international communityî Mikeladze, ambassador since July 2002, said he has great optimism about the future of his country. The amiable ambassador becomes more animated when the discussion shifts from policy to the people of Georgia, its beautiful beaches and mountains, and its rich culture. He said the countryís assets could fuel a tourism market that would be the envy of the region, but without a stable democracy, Georgia cannot realize its potential. Mikeladze said he hopes the United States will remain a key partner in sowing the seeds of democracy because Georgia offers fertile ground. ìThe sense of democracy is deep in the Georgiansí soul,î he said. ìGeorgians are some of the most advanced in this regard. Georgians love democracy.î Michael Coleman is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.