Press Scanner
Compiled by Etuna Tsotniashvili
Wednesday, June 3
Labour criticises insurance programme
Sakartvelos Respublika writes that the cheap insurance programme initiated by President Saakashvili has now issued all its policies. According to the authorities, out of 900,000 people living below the poverty line half have taken out the new insurance policies and the majority of those have already made a claim on them. The one year insurance policy costs GEL 19.80, part of which cost is financed by the state.
The Labour Party has held a special briefing on this issue at which one of its leaders, Soso Shatberashvili, accused the Government of lying to people.
“On March 1 the Government and President stated that a new cheap insurance programme had begun which would help solve many of the problems we have seen in the healthcare system over the years. We would like to state that this Government statement was a lie. They promised to build a hundred new hospitals as part of this new programme, but not even one has been built,” Shatberashvili said.
Shatberashvili also said that the President and Government are lying when they declare that about 500,000 people have been insured under this policy. Labour claims that the number of insured is only 15,000, and there have also been cases in which insurance companies have refused to compensate policy holders for the amounts they have spent on medical treatment. Shatberashvili quoted Aldagi BCI as an example of a company which has done this.
Tori problems blacked out Maestro, Chikovani says
Mayor of Rustavi Mamuka Chikovani has categorically denied that cable TV company Tori is blocking Maestro TV broadcasts in the city, Sakartvelos Respublika writes.
Chikovani says Tori TV has certain technical problems which are unconnected with the suspension of Maestro broadcasts. Tori has not made any comment on this issue.
Maestro TV broadcasts to Rustavi were suspended on Friday. Tori customers have protested about this. Some Rustavi residents say that if the broadcasts are not reinstated they will cancel their Tori subscriptions.
Some cells are removed, despite protests
When the National Forum members abandoned their cells in Freedom Square Conservative Zviad Dzidziguri settled his party supporters in the empty cells and declared that no one could take them away. However on June 1 the opposition parties themselves moved them and cleaned the square, Alia reports.
The cell lodgers stated that the cells would be re-erected near the Avlabari residence, but one protester openly shouted “they remove the cells, the truth was revealed on May 26, they are not real opposition. Misha is not cool but he is super!” The cell dwellers are not happy with the opposition’s decision to remove them.
Sakartvelos Respublika writes that the cheap insurance programme initiated by President Saakashvili has now issued all its policies. According to the authorities, out of 900,000 people living below the poverty line half have taken out the new insurance policies and the majority of those have already made a claim on them. The one year insurance policy costs GEL 19.80, part of which cost is financed by the state.
The Labour Party has held a special briefing on this issue at which one of its leaders, Soso Shatberashvili, accused the Government of lying to people.
“On March 1 the Government and President stated that a new cheap insurance programme had begun which would help solve many of the problems we have seen in the healthcare system over the years. We would like to state that this Government statement was a lie. They promised to build a hundred new hospitals as part of this new programme, but not even one has been built,” Shatberashvili said.
Shatberashvili also said that the President and Government are lying when they declare that about 500,000 people have been insured under this policy. Labour claims that the number of insured is only 15,000, and there have also been cases in which insurance companies have refused to compensate policy holders for the amounts they have spent on medical treatment. Shatberashvili quoted Aldagi BCI as an example of a company which has done this.
Tori problems blacked out Maestro, Chikovani says
Mayor of Rustavi Mamuka Chikovani has categorically denied that cable TV company Tori is blocking Maestro TV broadcasts in the city, Sakartvelos Respublika writes.
Chikovani says Tori TV has certain technical problems which are unconnected with the suspension of Maestro broadcasts. Tori has not made any comment on this issue.
Maestro TV broadcasts to Rustavi were suspended on Friday. Tori customers have protested about this. Some Rustavi residents say that if the broadcasts are not reinstated they will cancel their Tori subscriptions.
Some cells are removed, despite protests
When the National Forum members abandoned their cells in Freedom Square Conservative Zviad Dzidziguri settled his party supporters in the empty cells and declared that no one could take them away. However on June 1 the opposition parties themselves moved them and cleaned the square, Alia reports.
The cell lodgers stated that the cells would be re-erected near the Avlabari residence, but one protester openly shouted “they remove the cells, the truth was revealed on May 26, they are not real opposition. Misha is not cool but he is super!” The cell dwellers are not happy with the opposition’s decision to remove them.