Democracy in bloom as Rose Revolution inspires others

SINCE Georgia’s November 2003 Rose Revolution against Eduard Schvardnadze’s government, a series of other former Soviet governments have fallen after popular revolutions, often with the backing of the US and other Western nations.

Thousands of people, led by Mikhail Saakashvilli, took to the streets to protest against the results of a flawed parliamentary election.

They adopted the rose as their symbol, handing out thousands of the flowers even though the flowers are not normally available during the Georgian winter.

Unusually for the region, the revolution ended without bloodshed when Mr Schvardnadze resigned, leaving the way clear for Mr Saakashvilli to win a landslide in presidential and parliamentary votes.

Since then two other former Soviet republics have witnessed similar people power revolutions, with the opposition using mass protests and media-friendly symbols to topple the ruling regime.

Late last year, the Ukrainian capital Kiev witnessed days of mass protests in the so-called Orange Revolution.

Supporters of opposition leader Viktor Yuschchenko, turned the streets into a sea of orange to protest against the result of disputed presidential vote.

With some financial and technical support from Western pro-democracy organisations, and the vocal backing of the US and the EU, they succeeded in overturning the result of the vote.

In a rerun, which independent observers ruled much fairer than the initial ballot, Mr Yuschchenko was the winner.

However, the country was genuinely split, with supporters of the winner of the initial poll, Viktor Yanukovich, coming mainly from the country’s east and looking to Moscow for support.

Earlier this year, the Kgyrgz government fell to the Tulip Revolution, again after a disputed election condemned by international observers. This time, however, there was widespread violence and looting after the downfall of Askar Askayev’s government when protests spread from the south to the capital Bishkek.

However, US President George W Bush yesterday sought to draw comparison between his support for pro-Western democrats in the former Soviet republics and his contentious Middle East policy. In his speech he also referred to Iraq’s “Purple Revolution” and Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution.

January saw Iraq’s first democratic elections, the colour purple symbolising the dye placed on voters’ fingers to prevent electoral fraud. However, it was carried out against a backdrop of constant bloodshed following the US-led invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship and a mass boycott from the Sunni minority.

However, some Lebanese opposition leaders such as Walid Jumblatt cited the Iraq vote as an influence in that country’s revolt against years of Syrian occupation. The Syrians left last month. Elections will be later this month.