KEY OFFICES TAKEN OVER BY REPRESENTATIVES OF BURJANADZE-DEMOCRATS
(Daily News: November 27, 2003)
At a Parliament session today Zurab Zhvania (ex-speaker of the Parliament) was elected State Minister, Zurab Nogaideli - Finance Minister (who was already on the post in 2000-2002) and Giorgi Baramidze - Interior Minister (he headed the Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee for some time). The MPs supported all candidates unanimously.
FRIGHT CARRIAGES KEEP ON MOVING TO BATUMI DIRECTION
(Daily News: November 26, 2003)
Fright carriages keep on moving to the direction of Batumi despite a state of emergency declared in the Ajara Autonomous Republic, Sarke has been told in the press service of the Railway Department. Yet, some problems have emerged, like a delay in discharging carriages in Batumi.
ACTING PRESIDENT DISCUSSES GEORGIAN ECONOMIC SITUATION WITH HEAD OF IMF REPRESENTATION
(Daily News: November 26, 2003)
Today the acting president of the country Nino Burjanadze met with Jonathan Dunn, head of the IMF representation in Georgia.
After the meeting, Dunn told journalists, they considered overall economic situation in the country and the prospects for IMF’s assistance.
NATIONAL MOVEMENT LEADER TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY
(Daily News: November 26, 2003)
Mikheil Saakashvili, the National Movement leader, has been nominated as a presidential candidate by the united opposition (the alliances Saakashvili – National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats) in the forthcoming presidential elections to take place on January 4.
Acting President Nino Burjanadze told a special briefing about the decision of the alliances made in order to “jointly take responsibility for the future fate of the state”.
PROPORTIONAL ELECTION RESULTS CANCELLED, DATE OF NEW PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS NOT SET YET
(Daily News: November 25, 2003)
Today the Supreme Court ruled ineffective results of the voting conducted according to a proportional system (party lists) in the November 2 Parliamentary elections and an appropriate order by the Central Election Commission (CEC).
The decision followed the suit filed by Fair Elections, a non-governmental organization, the Association of Young Lawyers and the alliances Saakashvili-National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats.
PRESIDENT SHEVARDNADZE RESIGNS, NEW PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED IN 45 DAYS
(Daily News: November 24, 2003)
President Eduard Shevardnadze demonstrating intension of staying at the post until last day resigned on November 23 at about 9 p.m. “I have never betrayed my people, but now it is better for the president to resign”, to avoid sacrifice and bloodshed, commented President his own decision to the journalists at the Krtsanisi government residence.
The decision was made amid continual protests of thousands of supporters of Saakashvili-National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats and as a result of consultations with the leaders of these oppositional alliances.
6,000 TONNES OF AMERICAN WHEAT SOLD AT EXCHANGE
(Daily News: November 21, 2003)
Today the Tbilisi Grain and Oil Exchange has traded with the American humanitarian wheat for the second time and sold 2,880 tonnes. During trading last week, it sold 3,120 tonnes.
NATIONAL MOVEMENT AND BURJANADZE-DEMOCRATS NOT RECOGNIZE ELECTION RESULTS
(Daily News: November 20, 2003)
The November 2 Parliamentary election results were “completely rigged”, National Movement Leader Mikheil Saakashvili, who does not recognize newly elected Parliament’s legitimacy, has said.
Saakashvili told a news conference today his intention to oppose to the gathering of a new Parliament and arrange population’s protests in the regions.
OPPOSITION LEADER CALLS FOR POPULATION’S SUPPORT
(Daily News: November 13, 2003)
National Movement leader Mikheil Saakashvili today called for all citizens of the country to join the protest rally of the opposition on November 14.
Saakashvili claims only one way remains for the opposition – to go ahead with the protests until the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze, who is going to “transfer authority “velvetly” to the dictator regime”, to Ajara leader Aslan Abashidze.
NATELASHVILI APPEALS TO PRESIDENT AND PROTESTING OPPOSITION LEADERS TO GIVE UP POLITICAL ACTIVITY
(Daily News: November 12, 2003)
Shalva Natelashvili, the Laborists Party leader, has drawn up a memorandum for the President Eduard Shevardnadze and the opposition leaders Mikheil Saakashvili, Nino Burjanadze and Zurab Zhvania, who have protested at rigging elections.
It is said in the memorandum that Shevardnadze, Saakashvili, Burjanadze and Zhvania acknowledge “responsibility for causing economic crisis, which will inevitably lead to civil confrontation”, announce “about stopping political activity” and will not participate in any elections in the future.
DIALOGUE BETWEEN PRESIDENT AND OPPOSITION FAILS, WHILE BATUMI AND TBILISI COME TO UNDERSTANDING
(Daily News: November 10, 2003)
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze met the opposition leaders on November 9 amid continuing rallies in Tbilisi held by National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats alliances, which blame the authorities for rigging the November 2 Parliamentary elections.
President Eduard Shevardnadze told journalists it had been his initiative to hold the meeting and that it was “intensive, but a bit tense”.
FAIR ELECTIONS HAVE DOUBTS OVER PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION RESULTS IN AJARA
(Daily News: November 7, 2003)
According to Fair Elections, a non-government organization, the population’s involvement in the November 2 Parliamentary elections in Ajara is around 50%, not 94%, as stated officially.
Fair Elections does not see any legal means to solve the problem in Ajara and point to the political nature of the question.
BURJANADZE-DEMOCRATS REFUSES TO GO INTO PARLIAMENT
(Daily News: November 7, 2003)
The leaders of Burjanadze-Democrats alliance do not acknowledge the legitimacy of a new Parliament due to rigging the November 2 Parliamentary elections.
The alliance will not go into the Parliament appointed by “the Georgian authorities” and “not “expressing the population’s will”, Nino Burjanadze told a news conference today.
NEW AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE HANDS CREDENTIALS TO GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
(Daily News: November 7, 2003)
There was the first official meeting held today between Georgian Foreign Affairs Minister Irakli Menagarishvili and the new ambassador of France to Georgia Salome Zurabashvili-Kashia.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the ambassador handed credentials to the Minister.
PRECISE NUMBER OF VOTERS STILL UNKNOWN
(Daily News: October 31, 2003)
According to the Central Election Commission, the number of voters is around 2.7 million people. Nana Devdariani, the chairman of the commission, is not able to name the exact number.
LIQUIDATION OF MAGISTRALBANK IS FINISHED
(Daily News: October 22, 2003)
Closing of liquidation accounting of Magistralbank and this bank’s withdrawal from register are envisaged by the order of the vice-president of National Bank (NB) Vano Vakhtangishvili, by October 13 of the current year.
As it is noticed in the order, in February of the current year the regional court of Tbilisi approved the name changing and the activity matter of JSC Magistralbank.
BANKERS TO HAVE THEIR OWN CODE OF CONDUCT
(Daily News: October 21, 2003)
The code of bank conduct is to be ready in November, Zurab Gvasalia, head of the Association of Commercial Banks, told Sarke. It will come into force in 2004.
BOEING SERVICE CENTER CONSTRUCTION PLANNED TO START NEXT YEAR
(Daily News: October 20, 2003)
The construction of a service center on the territory of the Tbilisi aircraft plant is planned to start in 2004 and finish and commence operation in 2004, Gia Maisashvili, a consultant, said at the presentation of the business plan today.
The project cost is $60 million and was ordered by Maisashvili (who is in charge of the American consulting Pericles Group) a year and a half ago.
ELECTION AND PRE-ELECTION BATTLE
(Weekly Press Digest: October 12, 2003)
The week in Georgia started with the visit of prominent Americans: senator John McCain, ex secretary of state Strobe Talbott, John Malkhaz Shalikashvili, ex chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff… Almost all the papers during the week mentioned the word “descent” most likely due to our military compatriot who was in the delegation.
The Americans stressed they did not visit Georgia to support any of political parties.
FOR NEW GEORGIA’S SPEAKER CLAIMS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BURJANADZE-DEMOCRAT’S LEADER IS NOT PRESIDENT’S ORDER
(Daily News: October 13, 2003)
Irina Sarishvili-Chanturia, the National-Democrats leader, and current speaker of pro-governmental alliance, has said she is an independent political figure and has executed nobody’s orders.
Last week’s statement regarding Burjanadze-Democrat’s links with the Russian secret services was not agreed with either the president or the pro-governmental alliance, Sarishvili-Chanturia told a news conference today.
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