Press Scanner
Complied by Liana Bezhanishvili
Monday, October 19
“The last President of Abkhazia”
24 Saati reports that the Presidential election campaign in occupied Abkhazia has officially opened. The registration of candidates will finish on the 12 November.
Official Tbilisi has not commented on this election, in which the main opponents of incumbent Sergey Baghapsh are considered to be Raul Khajimba and Beslan Butba. Temur Iakobashvili, State Minister for Reintegration, has stated that: “I do not comment on comedies and theatrical performances.”
Political analyst on Caucasian issues Mamuka Areshidze says, “The discontent directed towards Baghapsh at present is identical to that expressed in the rest of Georgia towards the Tbilisi Government. The difference is that in the rest of Georgia the opposition and the Government are both oriented towards America and there they are both oriented towards Russia.
“I believe that on 12 December the last President of Abkhazia will be elected, because the situation is so difficult there that the existence of the Abkhazian ethnic group is in question. Russia is working intensively on the ethnic population of Abkhazia in order to break their nationalism.”
David Usupashvili: The best way to remove the Government will soon become obvious
The Republican Party will not take part in the November street protests, Rezonansi writes, quoting one of its leaders David Usupashvili. He considers street protests to be the wrong way to achieving victory and says that the best way to remove the current administration is through elections.
“The Republican Party is part of the Alliance for Georgia, which is the serious alternative to the present Government. We intend to gain power via democratic and just elections. We will not hinder other opposition parties, but we have our own way of doing things,” Usupashvili said.
”The united opposition was not a political unification nor an electoral bloc. We came together for justice in November 2007, but then the merciless assaults on demonstrators took place and we were forced to stay together. I sought only to fight elections, and after the united opposition dissolved our party continued its previous course. We have chosen our partners who will follow the same path, but that does not mean we will always be together. Only our party is permanent, all the parties we are allied with are with us for a particular purpose,” Usupashvili added.
”First of all we have raised the question of changing the electoral environment and then we will remove the Government via elections. If anyone believes that a miracle will happen in a day and the Government can be driven out by protests that is their choice. But I believe our way to be the best of all. Some might have different opinions, but what is the best way will soon become obvious,” Usupashvili said, confirming that he categorically refused to take part in protest actions.
A Georgian product will appear in Ukrainian market soon
Sakartvelos Respublica reports that the President of the Kazbegi Company, Gogi Topadze, has said in an interview with journalists that a new Georgian lemonade called Regina-Kazbegi will soon be available in Ukraine. Kazbegi lemonade is exported to more then 20 countries, principally Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and now Ukraine has been added to this list.
At the end of this year lemonade production will begin in Kazakhstan. A joint Georgia-Kazakhstan company is currently being registered, as is the Kazbegi trademark in Kazakhstan.
“Ukraine is one of the biggest countries in the world and our colleagues are interested in re-exporting this product. Due to the political situation we cannot export it directly to Russia but we hope that it will be possible with Ukraine’s assistance to re-export it not only to Russia but Europe too,” stated Gogi Topadze.
24 Saati reports that the Presidential election campaign in occupied Abkhazia has officially opened. The registration of candidates will finish on the 12 November.
Official Tbilisi has not commented on this election, in which the main opponents of incumbent Sergey Baghapsh are considered to be Raul Khajimba and Beslan Butba. Temur Iakobashvili, State Minister for Reintegration, has stated that: “I do not comment on comedies and theatrical performances.”
Political analyst on Caucasian issues Mamuka Areshidze says, “The discontent directed towards Baghapsh at present is identical to that expressed in the rest of Georgia towards the Tbilisi Government. The difference is that in the rest of Georgia the opposition and the Government are both oriented towards America and there they are both oriented towards Russia.
“I believe that on 12 December the last President of Abkhazia will be elected, because the situation is so difficult there that the existence of the Abkhazian ethnic group is in question. Russia is working intensively on the ethnic population of Abkhazia in order to break their nationalism.”
David Usupashvili: The best way to remove the Government will soon become obvious
The Republican Party will not take part in the November street protests, Rezonansi writes, quoting one of its leaders David Usupashvili. He considers street protests to be the wrong way to achieving victory and says that the best way to remove the current administration is through elections.
“The Republican Party is part of the Alliance for Georgia, which is the serious alternative to the present Government. We intend to gain power via democratic and just elections. We will not hinder other opposition parties, but we have our own way of doing things,” Usupashvili said.
”The united opposition was not a political unification nor an electoral bloc. We came together for justice in November 2007, but then the merciless assaults on demonstrators took place and we were forced to stay together. I sought only to fight elections, and after the united opposition dissolved our party continued its previous course. We have chosen our partners who will follow the same path, but that does not mean we will always be together. Only our party is permanent, all the parties we are allied with are with us for a particular purpose,” Usupashvili added.
”First of all we have raised the question of changing the electoral environment and then we will remove the Government via elections. If anyone believes that a miracle will happen in a day and the Government can be driven out by protests that is their choice. But I believe our way to be the best of all. Some might have different opinions, but what is the best way will soon become obvious,” Usupashvili said, confirming that he categorically refused to take part in protest actions.
A Georgian product will appear in Ukrainian market soon
Sakartvelos Respublica reports that the President of the Kazbegi Company, Gogi Topadze, has said in an interview with journalists that a new Georgian lemonade called Regina-Kazbegi will soon be available in Ukraine. Kazbegi lemonade is exported to more then 20 countries, principally Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and now Ukraine has been added to this list.
At the end of this year lemonade production will begin in Kazakhstan. A joint Georgia-Kazakhstan company is currently being registered, as is the Kazbegi trademark in Kazakhstan.
“Ukraine is one of the biggest countries in the world and our colleagues are interested in re-exporting this product. Due to the political situation we cannot export it directly to Russia but we hope that it will be possible with Ukraine’s assistance to re-export it not only to Russia but Europe too,” stated Gogi Topadze.