Daily News

IN THIS ISSUE:

Bruce George, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), met today with the acting president of Georgia Nino Burjanadze, who is taking part in the 11^th OSCE Ministerial Council in Maastricht.

According to PA information, during the meeting George emphasized the importance of the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) today, referring to legislation, has appointed the Parliament elections according to the proportional system for January 25, 2004.

The CEC has asked the acting president of Georgia Nino Burjanadze to postpone elections due to haziness over the results of voting according to the majority system.

Irakli Mindeli, head of the Parliamentary faction of Socialists, accuses the new authorities of monopolizing the electoral system. After appointing new members, the “de facto authorities broke balance” and now are having the majority in electoral commissions, he told a news briefing today.

According to the Finance Ministry, total amount of money donors will provide for holding new elections in Georgia is 5.3 million EUR.

The Ministry expects additional 5 million EUR in December-January from the European Commission as part of the Food Security Program, which was suspended this year.

A delegation of the Lithuanian Seym announced the readiness to render humanitarian assistance to Georgia in January at a meeting with Gigi Tsereteli, the acting speaker of the Parliament, in Tbilisi today. The sides have to determine the direction of assistance in advance.

Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli held the first news briefing today to report on the budget and measures to provide collection of revenues.

Nogaideli said the annual plan of revenues of the budget-2003 had been performed by 74% and a gap in the revenue part and deficit coverage sources would reach 286 million lari by the end of the year.

Saknavtobi, the state oil company, the only participant of the tender on oil prospecting and extraction, had received a license of the 10^th bloc, Sarke was told at the Oil and Gas Regulation Agency.

A contract was to be signed and the license issued in six months, Boris Bolkvadze, a consultant with media relations, said.

Caucasus Airlines Ltd, a Tbilisi based airline, announced today that it would launch daily flights between Tbilisi and Baku starting December 8.

Giorgi Lashkhi, the director general of the air company, said daily flights between Georgian and Azerbaijan had become possible thanks to successful negotiations between the Georgian and Azerbaijan governments.

PA Consulting and Winrock International, assisted by the Horizonti Foundation have selected ten communities located throughout Georgia as part of the Energy Security Initiative, reports the press service of the PA Consulting Group.

The component of the USAID-sponsored initiative intends to help partner communities in Georgia's rural areas to develop energy resources and develop economic opportunities focusing particularly on mini and small hydroelectric stations, biomass use and others.

Accordance to the State Department of Motor Roads, due to the start of the winter season, on the Gudauri-Kobi section of the Mtskheta-Kazbegi-Larsi motorway, movement has been forbidden for the motor transport with trailers and for big buses.

For the other types of motor transport, movement on this district is permitted, but only with special chains.