[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S4024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECENT EVENTS IN GEORGIA

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise today to mark a milestone in the 
history of the Georgian nation towards consolidating its independence 
and sovereignty and the progress Georgia has made in moving towards 
becoming a democratic government with a free market economy.
  On the 9th of April 1999, Georgian Orthodox Good Friday, Georgia 
commemorated a tragic anniversary: ten years ago on that day in 1989, 
twenty-two people died for daring to express their desire for the 
independence of their country. During a peaceful demonstration in 
Tbilisi, Soviet troops moved in on the unarmed crowd with tanks. 
Soldiers carrying field engineer spades bludgeoned these brave people 
to death--all of them were unarmed and many of them were women. The 
troops also used an unknown type of poisonous gas which put thousands 
of people in hospital. These people paid a heavy price for expressing 
their desire for independence.
  This week, almost exactly 10 years later, Georgia is celebrating 
another major step towards the goal of full independence for which 
those people died: this time economic independence. On April 17th, 
Georgia celebrated the inauguration of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline. 
With this step, Georgia has gained another significant measure of 
independence.
  This is a long way to have come in just ten years. And these have 
been very tumultuous years filled with strife and hardship: 
assassination attempts against President Shevardnadze; pressures from 
Russia which continues to harbor Igor Giorgadze, the mastermind behind 
the 1995 assassination attempt against President Shevardnadze; ethnic 
conflicts, over 300,000 refugees from Abkhazia, and tremendous economic 
hardships for the Georgian people.
  This refugee problem is one which should resonate with all of us. The 
television pictures and the stories told by the Kosovar refugees of 
ethnic cleansing, people pushed out of their homes and villages is a 
sight which shocks us and has galvanized the United States and the west 
to action. Similar scenes were taking place in Georgia which in a very 
short time had to assimilate over 300,000 refugees driven out of 
Abkhazia as part of ethnic cleansing in that part of the country. Had 
there been TV cameras there the world might have reacted. But there 
weren't and Georgia has been left to deal with this difficult problem 
on its own.
  Despite this difficult backup, President Shevardnadze and the 
reformers in the Georgian parliament have started and made significant 
progress in building a new nation. What we are witnessing in Georgia is 
truly that: the building up from scratch of a new state. This is a 
daunting task and one which requires immense fortitude and persistent 
commitment.
  There is no quick formula for building a state, no blueprint to 
follow which will smooth the way. In fact, the road is anything but 
smooth and there have been wrong turns along the way. But it is taking 
place. There are a number of indicators.
  One is the regaining control of borders. After much negotiating, and 
persistence, Georgia is starting to regain control of its borders: in 
the strategic sea-port of Poti, the northern border as well as parts of 
the border with Turkey. Georgia is also scheduled to take control of 
the entire Turkish-Georgian border in Ajara in 1999.
  Another is in the area of basic legal reforms. Not only have 
President Shevardnadze and the reformers in Parliament tackled problems 
systematically, they have clearly demonstrated their commitment by 
passing legislation which will set the foundations for a free and 
prosperous society. A recent example is the overhaul of the judiciary. 
Most of Georgia's judges are being forcibly retired and replaced by new 
ones chosen by competitive examinations. This is a bold move in the 
right direction. While the reform of the legal system is moving forward 
at a fast pace, one area of concern is the recent decision to return to 
the Soviet system of appointing lay judges for high crimes' sentencing. 
These judges don't have to pass tests or meet the same standards as 
federal judges. This is a dangerous road to go down as it could slow 
down the pace of legal reform and open the door to corruption. 
Nevertheless, on the whole Georgia should be proud of this wonderful 
step forward. In a civil society, the legal system should work for the 
society and not for the benefit of the authorities. The overhaul of the 
judiciary sets Georgia on that course.
  Another is the fight against corruption. The reformers in Georgia 
have also taken on one of the most pervasive problems which is the 
legacy of 70 years of communism: corruption. Recent examples of the 
commitment to take on this overwhelming problem can be found in a 
number of decisions relating to the areas in which corruption is the 
most prevalent in any society. Georgia has hired foreign companies to 
take over areas which are traditionally the richest sources of bribes 
and corruption: the distribution of electric power in Tbilisi and the 
customs service. In another bold move, the Georgian government will be 
taking procurement away from the ministries: a law passed recently 
requires that as of 1 July 1999, all government procurements beyond 
20,000 lari must be subject to tender by the Ministry of Economy. This 
law is most significant and will be further enhanced by establishment 
of a system for third party procurement. The Ministry of Economy 
working with seasoned western companies can make these tenders work for 
the government and not for individual people looking for their own 
personal gain. Leading the way in this effort is the military and the 
border guards. This will concretely contribute to the more efficient 
use of Georgian government resources and reduce the temptation of 
corruption.
  The progress made to date has not come easily and has not necessarily 
been smooth; mistakes have been made along the way. But we must 
remember that there is no easy map to chart the way from the economic 
shambles Georgia and the other former Soviet republics inherited to a 
full blown free market economy and democratic institutions. Building 
them takes some time, determination and perseverance.
  Mr. President, once implemented, the Georgian people will surely 
begin to see that they are on the right track toward a serious 
improvement in their circumstances. I congratulate President 
Shevardnadze and the parliamentarians who have stood up for the freedom 
and long-term wellbeing of their country.
  Mr. President, the geostrategic importance of Georgia to the United 
States is clear and has been mentioned often. It also has another claim 
on our attention and support: the progress toward democratization and 
free market economy there is a strong example to the other countries in 
the region. Georgia deserves our support as well as our 
congratulations.

                          ____________________