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Compiled by Londa Mindiashvili
Friday, July 10
Students found a new movement

Akhali Taoba writes that a new movement called Join Us was formed on July 6 by Georgian students. Its members held a briefing at Tbilisi State University on July 7, at which Levan Chitadze, a member of the United Alliance of Students, said his organisation and the Just Future Movement had already joined the new movement.

Chitadze stated that Join Us will consolidate students in Tbilisi and the regions and their main demand will be the release of people arrested for political reasons since November 7, 2007 and during the rallies. The movement will visit the regions and meet local people. First they will meet people in Gori, Telavi, Kutaisi, Poti and Batumi.

Levan Chitadze, Melor Vachnadze, Tina Nibliashvili and Zurab Chachanidze are the founders of Join Us.



Conservative Party makes party financing proposals

Akhali Taoba reports that the Conservative Party has worked out alternative methods of financing political parties following the Government’s decision to stop doing so. Zviad Dzidziguri, the leader of the Conservative Party, has told MediaNews that the Conservative Party will present its proposals next week.

Dzidziguri said that international society is already aware that political parties have had their finance taken away and the opposition will be raising the issue with Joseph Biden, the Vice President of the United States. Dzidziguri accuses the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament and the President of contravening the law.

“Every political party has right to guaranteed financing. Saakashvili and Bakradze think that if they stop the money, the opposition will stop their work, but we will not stop,” added Zviad Dzidziguri.



Undergraduate students will have to pass special examinations

Akhali Taoba reports that United Masters Exams are about to be conducted for the first time in Georgia. Registration for these exams has already begun. About 5,444 students will take them.

Nika Gvaramia, the Minister of Education and Science, has held a press conference with Maia Miminoshvili, Director of the National Examinations Centre, at which he stated that “this type of exam for undergraduate students is being conducted for the first time. It is symbolic that the students taking these United Masters Exams are the first ones who passed the United National Exams in 2005. The most important thing is that the Government has decided to finance the undergraduates’ education. A minimum of 1,000 students will be financed.”

Maia Miminoshvili said that undergraduate students will have to take exams in special subjects chosen by each university after the United Masters Exams. The new exams are effectively a guarantee of obtaining financing. The students will be tested in their skills in analytical writing, verbal competence, logic and numeracy. The exams come in four parts and students will be given an hour for each part.

The United Masters Exams are obligatory for students who want to enter accredited universities. The exams are being held in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi and Telavi.