Thursday, August 9, 2007, #151 (1418)

Headline: The bombing of Tsitelubani could be Merabishvili's performance
Salome Zourabichvili, leader of the opposition party Georgia's Way says it is possible that the bombing of the village Tsitelubani was a performance staged by Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Meravishvili, Akhali Taoba writes.

"It is clear that Russia is aggressive towards us, but it is doubtful that Moscow would want to aggravate the situation before the Sochi Olympic Games. Only Merabishvili would act like this," she said.

According to Zourabichvili the government is trying to divert attention from the daily political problems it is encountering in Tbilisi.

"It's an old tactic. Everyone remembers how our government used the scandal of Russian spies to help secure a win in the local elections," the opposition leader stated, referring to the Russian spy debacle in October 2006.

Headline: Separatists' actions become more aggressive
The Abkhazian government-in-exile is extremely concerned about the destructive actions of the separatist regime which threaten to deepen the conflict further, Sakartvelos Respublika writes.

The Supreme Council of the Abkhazia government-in-exile issued a statement declaring:

"The Supreme Council of Abkhazia speaks for the majority of our citizens in stating that we support the Georgian government in working towards a peaceful settlement but, at the same time, share the concern of our compatriots in exile that Abkhazian separatists totally abrogate their rights and freedom.

Separatists alienated the property of Georgians who were forced to out of their homes during the Georgian-Abkhazian war. Separatists ethnically cleansed Abkhazia and Russia has supported them in their activities."

The 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi may aggravate the situation. Bringing workers from Russia and other countries to build Olympic projects in the region and selling the houses of exiled Georgians will cause mass protest and actions, the exiled council's statement predicted.

Headline: Nika Gilauri: Abkhazia gets electricity with the agreement of Georgia
"Russian energy company RAO EES will provide electricity to Abkhazia by an agreement of the Georgian government," Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri told Interpress news.

He explained that a contract has been signed by RAO EES and a Georgian energy commercial operator.

The minister stated that Abkhazia already gets energy from the Enguri hydropower plant.

However, de facto Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh talked with the head of RAO EES Anatoly Chubais to request a secure supply of electricity. According to a representative of RAO EES, Abkhazia was supplied with 70 megawatts on August 7.

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