The News in Brief
Thursday, April 17
Okruashvili’s trial postponed until summer
French extradition hearings for high-profile ex-minister Irakli Okruashvili will be postponed until June 11, his lawyer told reporters.
Okruashvili, a hawkish former defense minister and one-time Saakashvili confidant, unveiled a political opposition party on September 25, 2007 by unleashing a barrage of explosive accusations against the president.
Police arrested Okruashvili at his party headquarters two days after his dramatic return to politics.
Okruashvili’s arrest sparked a thousands-strong public protest, and galvanized the country’s opposition forces into an aggressive campaign which rewrote domestic politics this winter.
The ex-minister was charged with extortion, money laundering, negligence and abuse of power stemming from his time in office. He left the country under disputed circumstances on the eve of a mass rally in November 2007, and was later rearrested in Berlin before being transferred to France. He is now seeking political asylum.
On March 28, Tbilisi City Court found Okruashvili guilty on the extortion charge, sentencing him in absentia to 11 years’ imprisonment. (Messenger Staff)
Ilia Chavchavadze exhibit opens in parliament
Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze opened a permanent exhibit in parliament yesterday dedicated to famed Georgian figure Ilia Chavchavadze.
The exhibition includes photos and letters from throughout Chavchavadze’s life. (Prime News)
Prime minister visits Svaneti
Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze traveled to mountainous Svaneti yesterday to observe construction in the small towns of Mestia and Lentekhi.
The prime minister also met with locals and considered investment projects for the region, which Georgia hopes to develop for its tourism potential. (Prime News)
Churkin: Moscow does not rule out resuming flights to Sokhumi
Russia’s envoy to the UN suggested yesterday that Russian airliners could begin flying to Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia.
“We have resumed flights to Georgia. I think that flights to Sokhumi [the de facto capital of Abkhazia] may resume as well,” stated Vitaly Churkin in New York.
Churkin said flights could resume as part of the UN Security Council’s demand to support Abkhazia’s economy, and suggested the Georgian government should follow Russia’s example in working to improve Abkhazia’s social straits. (Prime News)
Ugulava presents majoritarian candidate for Vake district
Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava presented the ruling party’s candidate for the majoritarian seat in Tbilisi’s upscale Vake district yesterday.
The candidate is current Environment Minister Zaal Gamtsemlidze.
Other candidates vying for the Vake seat include Davit Gamkrelidze of the New Rights, the Republicans’ Levan Berdzenishvili and Labor’s Leila Gaprindashvili.
The deputy environment ministers will fill Gamtsemlidze’s shoes. (Prime News)
GPB promises balanced coverage
The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) is promising equal airtime for politicians during the parliamentary election campaign, said director general Levan Kubaneishvili and deputy chair of the board of trustees Levan Gekheladze yesterday.
The GPB said it would ensure unbiased coverage of political campaigning, while demanding ethical treatment of television employees.
“25 percent of airtime will be equally distributed amongst 12 political entities,” said Gekheladze. “Monitoring the fulfillment of [the plan] will be conducted at the end of this week with the participation of media sources and the public.”
Kubaneishvili said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will also monitor the station’s coverage of election campaigning. (Black Sea Press)
11 organizations registered to monitor parliamentary elections
The Central Election Commission has so far registered 11 organizations to monitor the May 21 parliamentary elections.
Ten of the organizations are local; the international organization is the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
The ten local organizations are: the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, the Vejini Union, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, Transparency International-Georgia, the Democracy Center, Racio Leges, New Generation—New Initiative, Youth Union Initiative, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the International Union for Human Rights.
The deadline for local organizations to register is May 11; it is May 14 for international organizations. (Black Sea Press)
French extradition hearings for high-profile ex-minister Irakli Okruashvili will be postponed until June 11, his lawyer told reporters.
Okruashvili, a hawkish former defense minister and one-time Saakashvili confidant, unveiled a political opposition party on September 25, 2007 by unleashing a barrage of explosive accusations against the president.
Police arrested Okruashvili at his party headquarters two days after his dramatic return to politics.
Okruashvili’s arrest sparked a thousands-strong public protest, and galvanized the country’s opposition forces into an aggressive campaign which rewrote domestic politics this winter.
The ex-minister was charged with extortion, money laundering, negligence and abuse of power stemming from his time in office. He left the country under disputed circumstances on the eve of a mass rally in November 2007, and was later rearrested in Berlin before being transferred to France. He is now seeking political asylum.
On March 28, Tbilisi City Court found Okruashvili guilty on the extortion charge, sentencing him in absentia to 11 years’ imprisonment. (Messenger Staff)
Ilia Chavchavadze exhibit opens in parliament
Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze opened a permanent exhibit in parliament yesterday dedicated to famed Georgian figure Ilia Chavchavadze.
The exhibition includes photos and letters from throughout Chavchavadze’s life. (Prime News)
Prime minister visits Svaneti
Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze traveled to mountainous Svaneti yesterday to observe construction in the small towns of Mestia and Lentekhi.
The prime minister also met with locals and considered investment projects for the region, which Georgia hopes to develop for its tourism potential. (Prime News)
Churkin: Moscow does not rule out resuming flights to Sokhumi
Russia’s envoy to the UN suggested yesterday that Russian airliners could begin flying to Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia.
“We have resumed flights to Georgia. I think that flights to Sokhumi [the de facto capital of Abkhazia] may resume as well,” stated Vitaly Churkin in New York.
Churkin said flights could resume as part of the UN Security Council’s demand to support Abkhazia’s economy, and suggested the Georgian government should follow Russia’s example in working to improve Abkhazia’s social straits. (Prime News)
Ugulava presents majoritarian candidate for Vake district
Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava presented the ruling party’s candidate for the majoritarian seat in Tbilisi’s upscale Vake district yesterday.
The candidate is current Environment Minister Zaal Gamtsemlidze.
Other candidates vying for the Vake seat include Davit Gamkrelidze of the New Rights, the Republicans’ Levan Berdzenishvili and Labor’s Leila Gaprindashvili.
The deputy environment ministers will fill Gamtsemlidze’s shoes. (Prime News)
GPB promises balanced coverage
The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) is promising equal airtime for politicians during the parliamentary election campaign, said director general Levan Kubaneishvili and deputy chair of the board of trustees Levan Gekheladze yesterday.
The GPB said it would ensure unbiased coverage of political campaigning, while demanding ethical treatment of television employees.
“25 percent of airtime will be equally distributed amongst 12 political entities,” said Gekheladze. “Monitoring the fulfillment of [the plan] will be conducted at the end of this week with the participation of media sources and the public.”
Kubaneishvili said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will also monitor the station’s coverage of election campaigning. (Black Sea Press)
11 organizations registered to monitor parliamentary elections
The Central Election Commission has so far registered 11 organizations to monitor the May 21 parliamentary elections.
Ten of the organizations are local; the international organization is the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
The ten local organizations are: the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, the Vejini Union, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, Transparency International-Georgia, the Democracy Center, Racio Leges, New Generation—New Initiative, Youth Union Initiative, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the International Union for Human Rights.
The deadline for local organizations to register is May 11; it is May 14 for international organizations. (Black Sea Press)