Friday, October 19, 2007, #200 (1467)

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Prepared by Diana Dundua

“Chairman of Constitutional Court leaves for Venice”
On October 17, chair of the Constitutional Court Giorgi Papuashvili left for Venice, Italy to attend the 72nd Plenary Session of the Venice Commission, according to Akhali Taoba.
Papuashvili was elected as a member of the Venice Commission on October 1, for a four-year term. This is the first time he has attended a commission session as a member.
The main topic for at the conference is “Controlling Constitutional Borders.”
The Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe, was established in 1990 with the objective of providing constitutional assistance in Central and Eastern Europe.

“Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe to hold concert in Tbilisi”
Well-known Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe will visit Georgia, writes Rezonansi.
The singer will perform with her daughter Montserrat Martis at Zakaria Paliashvili State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet on November 20.
The orchestra will be conducted by Jose Collado.
Georgian bass opera singer Paata Burchuladze invited Montserrat Caballe to Tbilisi.
Money raised at the event will go to Georgian orphanages.

“Paata Davitaia calls on government to change the electoral law”
Paata Davitaia, chairman of political movement Chven Tviton (We, Ourselves) has called on the Georgian administration to change the electoral law instead of reducing the election threshold, according to Sakartvelos Respublika.
“I do not rule out the possibility that President Mikheil Saakashvili will carry through the changes he has proposed, as the administration’s ratings are down. But it is noteworthy that the Council of Europe has demanded a decrease in the elections barrier in the past yet the administration refused,” explained Davitaia.
He suggested that results will only be seen if the electoral law is changed. “It will be better if the government works in this direction,” he stressed.

“Turkey refuses to host Sergey Baghapsh”
Abkhaz de facto president Sergey Baghapsh’s planned visit to Turkey on October 17 was postponed after Ankara refused to host the separatist leader, according to Akhali Taoba.
According to the news agency Kavkaz, the Turkish government did not want to upset Tbilisi.
“The de facto Abkhaz president was planning to visit Turkey despite the good relations Turkey enjoys with Georgia. The Abkhaz delegation was expecting far too much to come of this visit, as there is a huge Abkhaz Diaspora living in Turkey,” the agency reported.
De facto vice speakers of parliament Vyacheslav Tsugba and Irina Agba,de facto economics minister Kristina Ozgan and deputy minister of foreign affairs Maksim Gunzhia were due to accompany Baghapsh on the Turkey trip.

“Guram Sharadze would turn 67 on October 17”
Professor Guram Sharadze, the leader of the Language, Homeland, Religion opposition movement would turn have turned 67 on October 17, writes Sakartvelos Respublika.
Sharadze was assassinated on May 20 on Melikishvili Avenue.
His family members, relatives and friends, including well-known Georgian writers and politicians, gathered at his graveside and a moment’s silence was observed at the scene of the killing.
“The local administration killed Sharadze. If he had been alive he would have been actively involved in the ongoing political processes here,” Sharadze’s daughter Rusudan Sharadze claimed.



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