The messenger logo

Press Scanner

Compiled by Sopo Datishvili
Wednesday, May 27
Protest against rising tuition fees

Kviris Palitra reports that the Labour Party is protesting against the raising of tuition fees in State universities.

The party says that the Government will pay the full tuition fees of only 10% of students. 20-30% will be financed partially. All the rest will receive no assistance at all.

The Labour Party thinks that in the present financial situation, and given the number of unemployed in the country, only 10% of prospective students will be able to afford an education.

“The principle of receiving an education at state expense, something enshrined in the constitution, has been abrogated by the increase in the tuition fees,” said Labour Party member Giorgi Gugava.



Krialashvili wasn’t even there, alleged companions say

Kviris Palitra reports that a police operation was held on the motorway in Tianeti in which Gia Krialashvili, Koba Otanadze and Davit Amiridze, who are accused of organising the Mukhrovani mutiny, were apprehended by police while travelling by taxi. According to the Interior Ministry Krialashvili was killed in shooting after resisting arrest and Amiridze and Otanadze were wounded and taken to the Ghudushauri clinic. Both were operated on immediately.

After Krialashvili’s body was returned to his wife the facts of this incident became more confused however. His wife claimed that Krialashvili had no wounds but his head swelled up within a day.

“I’m happy that my husband died as a man. He’s better off dead than with those scoundrels”, said Tamar Shanidze, wife of Krialashvili. Otanadze and Amiridze are under arrest in the Ghudushauri clinic.

Onise Mebonia, Otanadze’s lawyer, says: “Nobody expects that the court will be just. Amiridze and Otanadze are wounded badly, but Otanadze has managed to say that during the so-called police operation Gia Krialashvili wasn’t with them. They weren’t armed and consequently they couldn’t resist arrest. He told me they were taken into a minibus and then shot there.”



Constitutional Commission taking off

Rezonansi reports that the Constitutional Commission will be officially formed in a few days. The Government and Parliamentary opposition are currently holding meetings with the newly-appointed Commission Chairman, Avtandil Demetrashvili, who was nominated by the Parliamentary opposition.

According to Davit Bakradze, these meetings, at which technical details of the Commission’s operation are being discussed, will go on till the end of the week. Bakradze asks the non-Parliamentary opposition to join in this process.

Demetrashvili says that the Commission should consist of 50-60 members. He also wishes to involve his own 15-man group in its work, together with lawyers, sociologists and political analysts. He added that some international organizations and foreign experts will be actively involved in the working process of the commission.

Demetrashvili says that there is an agreement in force under which the Commission will unite opposition, Government, civil sector and regional representatives. By the end of this week the process of choosing members will be finished.