On June 2, 2003, after failed negotiations with State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze over the composition of the Central Election Commission (CEC), opposition leaders decided to hold a warning protest in front of the Georgian Parliament. Months of talks with the government about electoral reform had produced no results. At the time, the Coordinating Council of Opposition Parties included representatives from the United Democrats, the New Rights, the National Movement, the Traditionalists, and the People’s Party. Their main demand was to improve the electoral environment to prevent fraud in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for November 2. Parallel support rallies were held in several regions across Georgia.

On June 3, several thousand people gathered outside Parliament. Following the protest, CEC Chairperson Djumber Lominadze and nine of the commission’s nineteen members resigned, leaving only representatives loyal to the pro-government bloc.

After this development, pro-government parliamentary factions agreed to consider the opposition’s proposal to reconstitute the CEC with members representing political parties. President Eduard Shevardnadze described the street demonstrations as “an attempt to create controlled chaos in the country.” Georgia’s Security Minister Valeri Khaburdzania, who observed the protest from a distance, stated that some forces might try to use the rally to destabilize the situation.

While Parliament deliberated on the final decision regarding the CEC, Georgian pop stars performed a concert for the demonstrators outside Parliament, humorously titled “Musical Destabilization.”

Ultimately, no agreement was reached on amendments to the Election Code. As a result, the protesters’ demands shifted—from electoral reform to calling for President Shevardnadze’s resignation. In response, Shevardnadze instructed the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the legality of the June 3 protest and announced plans to take necessary measures to “maintain order in the country.”