Ten non-governmental organizations in Georgia complained about the authorities to the Administration of the USA

A non-governmental organization "The Georgian Academy" and a number of other NGOs submitted a special petition to Tina Kaidanow, Deputy Assistant of State Secretary of the USA on Europe and Eurasia, calling for US Administration to bring pressure upon the Georgian authorities in order to provide democratic election in the country. 

The next in turn, forth round of negotiations of the working group on the problems of democracy within the framework of Strategic Partnership Charter of the USA and Georgia started on April, 27, in Tbilisi. Tina Kaidanow, Deputy Assistant of State Secretary of the USA for Europe and Eurasia and Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Deputy Assistant for democracy, human rights and labour arrived in Tbilisi to participate in the negotiations. 

On April, 27, representatives of "The Georgian Academy" and several tens participants of other NGOs held a peaceful action of protest near the building of State Office of Georgia and one of the participants handed the petition to Tina Kaidanow during her meeting with representatives of the opposition in the Embassy of the USA. 

"In 2003 the majority of Georgian citizens greeted the "Revolution of Roses" with great hope and expectations but during the last seven years facade democracy and anti-democratic system have emerged in the country", the authors of the petition state.

They also emphasize that "without a perfect pressure upon the Georgian authorities establishing free electoral environment will become impossible… and there is a danger that the processes may develop in a revolutionary way which will be fatal for our country". 

"We hope that the international community, and first of all the Government of the USA, will use all possible resources to convince the authorities of Georgia of the necessity of holding the election in the democratic way", the petition runs. 

Organizations "Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights", Human Rights Center of Georgian Servicemen, "Save the Life", Civil Movement of the Refugees, Georgian Teachers' Association, Association of Minor Shareholders, Lawyers' Association, "The Forty Second Clause of the Constitution", "Solidarity with Unlawfully Imprisoned Persons" are among the signers of the petition, "Novosti-Georgia" reports. 

According to Tamar Chugoshvili, Chairperson of Young Lawyers' Association, the most urgent problems, i.e. mass media, electoral system, justice, limitation of the right of meetings and manifestations were discussed during Tina Kaidanow's meeting with representatives of the civil sector. They also discussed the problem of non-liability of the police personnel and officials for the crimes they commit. 

Tina Kaidanow also talked to the oppositionists who are currently working at improvement of the Electoral code together with representatives of the authorities.

"The American party confirmed its opinion that the agreements on the electoral system should be concluded in the nearest future. Both of our parties agreed that public at large and non-governmental organizations should be involved in this process. The community must be better informed. It should have a sense of complicity in the processes going on", Irakly Alasanya, leader of "Free Democrats" declared.