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.
ENERGY COMPANY REFUTES IMERETI GOVERNOR’S STATEMENT
(Daily News: October 9, 2003)
Gela Kvaratskhelia, the president’s representative in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, blamed United Energy Distribution Company yesterday for raising difficulties in the energy supply of the region on purpose.
In response David Thornton, the director general of the energy company, and his adviser Zurab Nogaideli held a news conference today.
SENATOR MCCAIN GETS ACQUAINTED WITH THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN GEORGIA
(Daily News: October 6, 2003)
John McCain, the US senator who has been visiting Tbilisi for the second day, has had meetings with leading political parties of Georgia. Yesterday he met with Laborists and National Movement, today – Industrialists, New Rights, Burjanadze-Democrats.
GEORGIAN DELEGATION PARTICIPATES IN SESSION OF BSEC TRANSPORT MINISTERS’ COUNCIL
(Daily News: October 3, 2003)
The session of the Transport Ministers’ Council of Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) state members has been held in Baku today. One of the aims of the meeting is harmonizing BSEC and TRACECA (transport corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) operation.
PARTIES FINISH SUBMISSION OF DEPUTY CANDIDATES’ REGISTERS
(Daily News: October 2, 2003)
Today was the deadline for submitting party registers to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). 21 out of 24 registered entities submitted the lists (it has not been decided yet whether the document of one more entity will be accepted by the commission or not).
PA CONSULTING GROUP CONSIDERS ITS WORK IN ENERGY COMPANY SUCCESSFUL
(Daily News: October 1, 2003)
PA Consulting Group says it has provided “significant improvement of the situation” in United Distributor Energy Company since May 2003, when it started running the company under the USAID contract.
In particular, the debt of the company, accumulated by its previous management, has been partially covered.
INDUSTRY WILL SAVE GEORGIA HOPES TO REALIZE ITS PLANS ALREADY AT THE NEW PARLIAMENT
(Daily News: September 29, 2003)
According to the leader of Industrialists Gogi Topadze, in the current Parliament party was not able to fulfill intended plans.
Topadze expects that in the new Parliament Industrialists will be presented by “serious group” and they will be able “to make more for the realization of its plans”.
EX-SPEAKER WARNS AGAINST RIGGING ELECTION
(Daily News: September 19, 2003)
Zurab Zhvania, the leader of United Democrats, today declared he had information that the government intended to use voices of staff of power structures in the interest of pro-governmental alliance.
In particular, Zhvania said the staff of the Interior Ministry (about 40,000 men) would be voting not at the usual, but at specially formed polling stations – at the police departments and other such establishments.
INTERNATIONAL AUDIT OF POTI PORT, RAILWAY AND JSC MADNEULI WILL BE FINISHED NOT BEFORE THE END OF YEAR
(Daily News: September 17, 2003)
The companies, which will conduct the audit of 3 large objects, were defined already in July of last year, but the agreements with them are not drawn yet.
The agreements with auditors must be drawn this week, told Sarke the deputy finance minister Zurab Soselia.
TBILAVIAMSHENI RELIES ON WIDENING RELATIONS WITH AMERICAN PARTNERS
(Daily News: September 15, 2003)
Since last week, director general of Tbilaviamsheni Nodar Beridze has been in the US, where he conducts negotiations on the prospects of widening relations with American company Maverick Jets and Tiger.
About it told Sarke manager of Tbilaviamsheni on foreign economic relations Zurab Seskuria, who has noticed, that the results of negotiations will become known after returning of Beridze, at the end of week.
PRESIDENT RECALLS KHUDONHES, DEMOCRATS LEADER CHALLENGES HIM TO TELEVISION DEBATES
(Daily News: September 15, 2003)
Georgian President regards the decision to cooperate with the Russian companies in the energy sphere as “absolutely right” despite problems associated with energy supply in September. “There was no other way out as Americans (the corporation AES) left Georgia”, he said in a radio interview today.
PART OF EU GRANT RECEIVED, AGRICULTURE MINISTRY SAYS, MPS SPEAK ABOUT POSSIBLE SUSPENSION OF THE EU PROGRAM
(Daily News: September 9, 2003)
6 million lari were disbursed to the agricultural sector of the 5 million EUR grant under the EU food security program, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
At a meeting with EU representatives yesterday Minister David Kirvalidze considered handling the funds purposefully by the Finance Ministry and suggested that a special representative from the organization be appointed in order to control the process, reports the press service.
DECEMBER – ALREADY IN SEPTEMBER?
(Weekly Press Digest: September 7, 2003)
The week started on September 1, and thus the beginning of autumn coincided with RAO EES Rossii’s takeover of TELASI, the major energy distributor of the capital.
The autumn has long been associated in Georgia with the beginning of problems in energy supply, the highest point of which is winter.
PRO-GOVERNMENTAL BLOC CLAIMS FOR ONE-THIRD OF THE PLACES AT THE PARLIAMENT
(Daily News: September 4, 2003)
The leader of the Socialist Party Vakhtang Rcheulishvili considers that in accordance with the results of forthcoming Parliamentary election, pro-governmental forces will obtain 30-35% of deputy places. The Socialist Party is the member of the bloc New Georgia.
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MEETS VOTERS IN KUTAISI
(Daily News: September 3, 2003)
Today Parliament speaker Nino Burjanadze went to Kutaisi (the Imereti region) on a two-day visit to meet the voters. She will run for a majority deputy from the Burjanadze-Democrats alliance in the city of her childhood.
UNITED DISTRIBUTOR ENERGY COMPANY INDIGNANT AT LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS
(Daily News: September 1, 2003)
The local authorities still resist the decision of the United Distributor Energy Company to cut electricity supply to those regions that do not pay for supplied electricity.
Zurab Nogaideli, the advisor of the energy company, told a press conference today that 29 branches had to be switched off today, but it emerged seven were “switched on illegally”, among them the branch in Kazbegi, Dusheti, Dmanisi, Ambrolauri, Lentekhi, Ozurgeti and Tkibuli.
MORE PARTIES MAY JOIN THE PRE-ELECTION ALLIANCE BURJANADZE-DEMOCRATS, PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SAYS
(Daily News: September 1, 2003)
Parliament speaker Nino Burjanadze says that the one or two more political forces may join the pre-election alliance. She told first year students of the department of law of Tbilisi State University that she planned to held consultations for the purpose.
DRAFT AMENDMENTS IN ELECTORAL CODE FAILED IN THE SECOND READING
(Daily News: July 31, 2003)
At today’s special session of Parliament only 75 deputies voted for amendments in the electoral administrations’ formation (118 were necessary) and 34 were against.
Deputies voted for the Central Electoral Commission’s chairman nomination by OSCE and for ratifying five places to pro-governmental parties.
UNINVITED ENERGUESTS FROM THE NORTH
(Weekly Press Digest: July 27, 2003)
Possible economical expansion of Russia has generated the new excitement in the mass media this week.
As 24 Saati is writing in the article “The Authorities Return Georgia To Russian Economical Space” (July 26), Russian gas giant Gazprom “intends to participate in the privatization of Georgian gas sector”.
UNITED DEMOCRATS PUT QUESTION ABOUT BUYING OUT TELASI BY STATE
(Daily News: July 25, 2003)
United Democrats consider, that the government must find $25 million for buying out the stocks of Tbilisi Energy Distribution Company (TELASI) from American investor AES.
About it was declared today by the head of the party Zurab Zhvania on the press conference, commenting information about the possible selling by investor of the company stocks to the Russian energy giant RAO EEC.
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