Press Scanner
Complied by Liana Bezhanishvili
Monday, October 26
Goga Khaindrava: If we had USD 47 million Saakashvili would be in Gldani prison by now
Alia reports that Georgian internet newspaper droni.ge has published the sensational information that certain individuals persecuted by the Rose Revolution Government, namely Aslan Abashidze, Irakli Okruashvili, Aleksandr Breus, Aleksander Silagadze, Jamal Gogitidze, Levan Mamaladze, Bondo Shalikiani, Zurab Tsereteli, Mikheil Khubutia and others donated 47 million dollars to the opposition between April and July of this year to overthrow Saakashvili’s Government. the site also says that the opposition had these 47 million dollars during the protest actions.
“This is very funny and not serious, because if we had 47 million dollars Saakashvili would be locked in Gldani prison. It would be enough to have 7 million.” Goga Khaindrava has told the Alia correspondent. ”It is foolish to ask who transferred this money, how much, where we kept it or where it is now,” he added.
Claims: Constitutional Security Department official is harassing opposition teachers
Sakartvelos Respublika reports that Shalva Imerlishvili, from the Kakheti office of the Constitutional Security Department in the Gurjaani region, is pressurising school principals in the area.
Some heads of public schools have told the Kakheti Information Centre that Shalva Imerlishvili has demanded that they sack people. “He introduced himself as a Constitutional Security official and demanded that we sack certain teachers. He told us that members of their families are supporters of the opposition and therefore they must be punished. The head of the Instructive Resource Centre Lali Gabitashvili demanded exactly the same thing from us,” stated the school principals.
Gabitashvili has categorically denied these statements. Imerlishvili has made no comment.
GYLA declares the President’s Public Broadcaster initiative illegal
Akhali Taoba writes that the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) has examined the full Government initiative concerning the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) and decided that it contravenes the principle of political independence GPB is founded on.
Tamar Khidasheli says that the President’s initiative is contrary to Georgian law because this states that GPB must be free of political, religious and commercial influence and its independence and the impartiality of its editorial policy must be restored.
GYLA says that it is unacceptable that some opposition parties have been invited to nominate representatives to the GPB Board when the law does not allow any distribution of political forces, on any basis, on the Board. GYLA appeals to the Government to cease its illegal interference in the process of selecting the GPB Board and appeals to opposition parties to refuse to take up the membership quotas they have been allocated. However it is supporting the idea of civil society groups presenting candidates for vacant places on the Board, stated the GYLA Chairman at a press conference.
Journalists’ ethics charter nearly ready
Rezonansi writes that Georgian journalists have discussed the mechanisms, tasks, structures and operational rules of a journalists’ ethics charter due to be signed on November 19.
The EC and EU support this initiative. European specialists are actively involved in the process of drafting the charter and the regional media has also participated in composing the final document. At a presentation of the international experts’ work presented by the Secretary of the Dutch Press Council Dafna Koene, Chairman of the Kosovo Press Council Vilhelm Howen and Slovenian media expert Goico Bervar, the experts shared their remarks on the project with Georgian journalists.
“Media self-regulation consists of two main elements. One is the charter and the other is a mechanism that will facilitate the actualisation of charter principles by those who intend to sign it. After our next meeting it will be known what the final mechanisms agreed by journalists and European experts are. The text and mechanism are ready. All articles will be amended as necessary and the charter will be signed on November 19,” media expert Ia Antadze says.
Media lawyers Giorgi Mshvenieradze and Tamar Gurchiani formulated the legal aspects of the charter. They say that the legal mechanisms worked out by them have been agreed by Georgian journalists. Tamar Gurchiani says that they have legally improved the charter on the basis of the experience of different states. This draft has been prepared to reflect Georgian reality and the opinions of Georgian journalists.
Alia reports that Georgian internet newspaper droni.ge has published the sensational information that certain individuals persecuted by the Rose Revolution Government, namely Aslan Abashidze, Irakli Okruashvili, Aleksandr Breus, Aleksander Silagadze, Jamal Gogitidze, Levan Mamaladze, Bondo Shalikiani, Zurab Tsereteli, Mikheil Khubutia and others donated 47 million dollars to the opposition between April and July of this year to overthrow Saakashvili’s Government. the site also says that the opposition had these 47 million dollars during the protest actions.
“This is very funny and not serious, because if we had 47 million dollars Saakashvili would be locked in Gldani prison. It would be enough to have 7 million.” Goga Khaindrava has told the Alia correspondent. ”It is foolish to ask who transferred this money, how much, where we kept it or where it is now,” he added.
Claims: Constitutional Security Department official is harassing opposition teachers
Sakartvelos Respublika reports that Shalva Imerlishvili, from the Kakheti office of the Constitutional Security Department in the Gurjaani region, is pressurising school principals in the area.
Some heads of public schools have told the Kakheti Information Centre that Shalva Imerlishvili has demanded that they sack people. “He introduced himself as a Constitutional Security official and demanded that we sack certain teachers. He told us that members of their families are supporters of the opposition and therefore they must be punished. The head of the Instructive Resource Centre Lali Gabitashvili demanded exactly the same thing from us,” stated the school principals.
Gabitashvili has categorically denied these statements. Imerlishvili has made no comment.
GYLA declares the President’s Public Broadcaster initiative illegal
Akhali Taoba writes that the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) has examined the full Government initiative concerning the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) and decided that it contravenes the principle of political independence GPB is founded on.
Tamar Khidasheli says that the President’s initiative is contrary to Georgian law because this states that GPB must be free of political, religious and commercial influence and its independence and the impartiality of its editorial policy must be restored.
GYLA says that it is unacceptable that some opposition parties have been invited to nominate representatives to the GPB Board when the law does not allow any distribution of political forces, on any basis, on the Board. GYLA appeals to the Government to cease its illegal interference in the process of selecting the GPB Board and appeals to opposition parties to refuse to take up the membership quotas they have been allocated. However it is supporting the idea of civil society groups presenting candidates for vacant places on the Board, stated the GYLA Chairman at a press conference.
Journalists’ ethics charter nearly ready
Rezonansi writes that Georgian journalists have discussed the mechanisms, tasks, structures and operational rules of a journalists’ ethics charter due to be signed on November 19.
The EC and EU support this initiative. European specialists are actively involved in the process of drafting the charter and the regional media has also participated in composing the final document. At a presentation of the international experts’ work presented by the Secretary of the Dutch Press Council Dafna Koene, Chairman of the Kosovo Press Council Vilhelm Howen and Slovenian media expert Goico Bervar, the experts shared their remarks on the project with Georgian journalists.
“Media self-regulation consists of two main elements. One is the charter and the other is a mechanism that will facilitate the actualisation of charter principles by those who intend to sign it. After our next meeting it will be known what the final mechanisms agreed by journalists and European experts are. The text and mechanism are ready. All articles will be amended as necessary and the charter will be signed on November 19,” media expert Ia Antadze says.
Media lawyers Giorgi Mshvenieradze and Tamar Gurchiani formulated the legal aspects of the charter. They say that the legal mechanisms worked out by them have been agreed by Georgian journalists. Tamar Gurchiani says that they have legally improved the charter on the basis of the experience of different states. This draft has been prepared to reflect Georgian reality and the opinions of Georgian journalists.