Georgian Leader Announces New "Revolution"

Government Overhaul Would Seek To Strengthen Democratic Institutions

(AP)  Georgia's president announced a major government overhaul Tuesday, calling it a "Second Rose Revolution" to guard against Russian encroachment following last month's war between the two countries.

In a speech before the U.N. General Assembly, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said expanded democratic initiatives will include stronger checks and balances in government, more independence for Parliament and the judiciary, and increased funding for opposition parties.

"We will, in short, fight the specter of aggression and authoritarianism with the most potent weapons in our arsenal - namely, our commitment to ever-expanding freedoms within our borders," Saakashvili said. "This amounts to nothing less than a 'Second Rose Revolution."'

Saakashvili said opposition parties also would have greater access to the airwaves. He pledged that the nation's laws would be strengthened, too, by introducing "enhanced" due process, jury trials and lifetime judicial appointments. Finally, he promised to "expand and deepen protections of private property."

Georgia's first "Rose Revolution" in 2003 displaced President Eduard Shevardnadze without bloodshed.

While the first revolution was about heading off "a threat from within by reinventing a failed state riddled by corruption, our second revolution must be even more focused, as now we face an even greater challenge, one that comes from the outside," Saakashvili added.

Much of the Georgian leader's speech Tuesday focused on countering what he called "the violence and tactics that subverted state sovereignty in Georgia" which, if unchecked, "will spread to other parts of the world."

War erupted between Georgia and Russia last month when Georgia launched an attack to regain control over South Ossetia. Russia sent in troops who quickly routed the Georgian forces and pushed deep into Georgia.

Russia has been deepening its relations with Georgia's two breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, despite the United States' increased warnings that Russia is isolating itself among the international community. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed separate treaties with the two regions, guaranteeing them protection in case of attack and allowing Russia to build military bases there.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Saturday afternoon.

U.S. President George W. Bush, hoping to shore up its beleaguered Georgian ally, told the General Assembly that Russia had violated the U.N. charter by invading its neighbor.

"The United Nations' charter sets forth the equal rights of nations large and small," he said. "Russia's invasion of Georgia was a violation of those words."

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that Russia does not intend to encroach on the sovereignty of Georgia or other former Soviet Republics, and that Russia had to act after Georgia attacked South Ossetia on Aug. 7. Putin also said that the West was wrong to claim Russia has imperial ambitions.

Tensions between Georgia and Russia remain high, evidenced by Georgia saying Tuesday it had shot down a Russian drone over its territory near South Ossetia. Russia's Defense Ministry dismissed the report as a "provocation."

Moscow has kept nearly 8,000 troops in Georgia's two separatist areas and plans to station them there indefinitely. Russia pledged to withdraw its forces from Georgian areas outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia once 200 European Union observers are in place. The EU mission is to deploy by Oct. 1.

But Moscow has refused to let the EU monitors into Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which it recognized as independent nations after the war. It also has balked at letting more monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe into South Ossetia, the site of heavy looting and burning of Georgian homes.

[babooph]

Who would listen to the fool now-Bush?

[thegoodtexan]

Sackofvilli has brutally put down all opposition in Georgia, with goon squads that attack opposition parties and individuals, he blocks all radio and television reception that he disagrees with and blocks all Internet access to Russian websites. He surrounds himself with paid foreign mercenaries, but the next revolution is already in motion and will be throwing him out. It is not his revolution, but a revolution started by the people.

[susanhelit]

So - he''s trying to appear as more of a democracy now. Must be a lot of pressure from people who know the real story of ''democracy'' Georgia style, as it currently exists. And this does nothing to change the system that allowed him to launch a midnight attack on helpless civilians, homes and hospital. That massacre he still tries to pretend never happened.

[oly_joe]

This guy must be a ***. Da .. send Russia back in .. we love PAIN!

[jgunther7]

Yes, Saakashvili was a used car salesman in New Jersey before the CIA selected him to be president of Georgia. Karzai was a taxi driver in San Diego before the CIA selected him. Yuschenko was the only one of the three stooges that was already positioned as a candidate when he was selected by the CIA to run for president.

[secundus2]

The Europeans, especially the Germans, back Georgia because they won''t let Russia monopolize gas and oil supplies. The EU countries are developing alternate suppliers and pipelines. They (Royal Dutch Petroleum)announced their first Iraqi contract yesterday -- they wouldn''t fight but they don''t mind profiting. Russia is not in the commanding position that some of you think it has. Still, there is no need to badmouth the Russians, they are just aggressively pursuing their own interests.

[metsobitso]

While he is back in the States, he should stop by his old used car lot, and see if he can get his old job back as a used car salesman.

[mitch5511]

Saakashvili is nuts. He made his position very clear when he committed the first strike against Russia. Any person in their right mind would have known not to be so stupid. But then again, he is friends with the Bush/Cheney regime so there ya go. In the end the verdict is they all should be committed to the nearest insane asylum!

[jgunther7]

This man looks mad as a hatter. He can always get a job playing the villan in a James Bond movie. The people of Georgia will soon be throwing him out, so he should start looking for another job.

"The well being of Mankind, its peace and security are unattainable, until and unless its unity is firmly established"
Unity for human race can happen only through Justice and fairness.
Any nation takes arms against the other; all the nations must unitedly put an end to that government and a new government must be formed, to bring welfare, true education, prosperity and happiness. The aggressive, uncivilized, impure and wicked and war- seeking nature of some nations continue in our time, which soon or later must come to an end, for the well being of the entire human race. The main source of conflict, animosity, hatred and war is the lack of Justice and fairness. The more instability created between nations, the more money the powerful, arrogant governments. Do not forget who first started the war, Georgia, and who helped and planed the war USA. Russia only defended the right of millions of oppressed people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Georgia''s president, Mikhail Saakashvili and USA officials should be brought to the World Criminal Court for their War crimes.