Press Scanner
Compiled by Liana Bezhanishvili
Wednesday, February 10
Alasania at Munich conference
Mteli Kvira reports that leader of the Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasania attended the Munich International Security Conference and held bilateral meetings. He stated that there is cautious but distinct optimism that the OSCE mission to Georgia will be reestablished but this depends on how Georgia conducts the local government elections.
"Conference participants have the opportunity to take part in discussions. The list of speakers has been already decided and will not be changed, but almost all the leaders of international organisations are here. I have held meetings with Barack Obama's Security Advisor and other persons. The main theme of all these meetings has been national security and the situation in Afghanistan," Alasania said.
"Today democracy and security are directly connected in Georgia. I want to say that there is a great interest in how Georgia is preparing for the elections. The present situation is unsatisfactory everyone can see this. We met representatives of NATO countries and they have all declared that if the elections are falsified they will not recognise their results.
"Concerning the OSCE very cautious dialogue is continuing. However Georgians must resolve their own problems," Alasania added.
Labour presents legislative initiatives
Akhali Taoba writes that the Labour Party has presented three bills to Parliament. They were discussed as one package at Monday's bureau session. Shalva Natelashvili, Ioseb Shatberashvili, Kakha Dzagania and Giorgi Gugava have initiated these bills, and while all of them are MPs they do not sit in Parliament in protest at the conduct of the last elections.
The Chair of the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, Khatuna Gogorishvili, stated that the three bills are independent of each other and must not be considered together. Chair of Parliament Davit Bakradze agreed and stated that discussion of the bills would not be obstructed, but was interested in whether the initiators would return to Parliament to discuss their own bills.
One bill is about changes in the tax code, the second is about changes in pension law and the third about changes in the election code. The pension bill presented would reduce the pension ages to 60 for men and 55 for women. These bills must be discussed in committee and then by Parliament as a whole, and will require the support of the Parliamentary majority to become law.
NDP and Government interested in ‘spies’
The National Democratic Party has published a list of 'traitors', Rezonansi writes. The persons on its list have been selected on the basis of their moral-patriotic views, but no further evidence has been provided to demonstrate their 'treason'. Despite this the Government has welcomed this NDP initiative and willingly commented on it. Consequently, the opposition expects that the Government will raise the topic of ‘spies’ during the local election campaign.
According to the NDP Zurab Noghaideli should be regarded as a traitor alongside well-known historical figures Sergo Orjonikidze and Philip Makharadze. The NDP regards as traitors all those politicians who do not support Georgian’s integration into NATO, saying that they are serving Russia under the guise of neutrality.
Zviad Dzidziguri, Koba Davitashvili and Kakha Kukava, as the initiators of the opposition primary prior to the local elections, are also included in the NDP's list. Valery Kvaratskhelia is also included. On Monday NDP members distributed special booklets on Rustaveli Avenue containing these names and justifying their inclusion in the list.
The politicians included have stated that they do not regard the list as worthy of comment, but the Parliamentary majority has applauded the NDP's initiative and agreed with the contents of the list. Majority leader Petre Tsiskarishvili said that the time has come for collaborationism to be recognised as such in Georgia. He added that politicians on the list have started holding negotiations in The Kremlin since the occupation of Georgia, and this is a negative precedent which can be used by the states being pressed by Russia to grant recognition to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Mteli Kvira reports that leader of the Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasania attended the Munich International Security Conference and held bilateral meetings. He stated that there is cautious but distinct optimism that the OSCE mission to Georgia will be reestablished but this depends on how Georgia conducts the local government elections.
"Conference participants have the opportunity to take part in discussions. The list of speakers has been already decided and will not be changed, but almost all the leaders of international organisations are here. I have held meetings with Barack Obama's Security Advisor and other persons. The main theme of all these meetings has been national security and the situation in Afghanistan," Alasania said.
"Today democracy and security are directly connected in Georgia. I want to say that there is a great interest in how Georgia is preparing for the elections. The present situation is unsatisfactory everyone can see this. We met representatives of NATO countries and they have all declared that if the elections are falsified they will not recognise their results.
"Concerning the OSCE very cautious dialogue is continuing. However Georgians must resolve their own problems," Alasania added.
Labour presents legislative initiatives
Akhali Taoba writes that the Labour Party has presented three bills to Parliament. They were discussed as one package at Monday's bureau session. Shalva Natelashvili, Ioseb Shatberashvili, Kakha Dzagania and Giorgi Gugava have initiated these bills, and while all of them are MPs they do not sit in Parliament in protest at the conduct of the last elections.
The Chair of the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, Khatuna Gogorishvili, stated that the three bills are independent of each other and must not be considered together. Chair of Parliament Davit Bakradze agreed and stated that discussion of the bills would not be obstructed, but was interested in whether the initiators would return to Parliament to discuss their own bills.
One bill is about changes in the tax code, the second is about changes in pension law and the third about changes in the election code. The pension bill presented would reduce the pension ages to 60 for men and 55 for women. These bills must be discussed in committee and then by Parliament as a whole, and will require the support of the Parliamentary majority to become law.
NDP and Government interested in ‘spies’
The National Democratic Party has published a list of 'traitors', Rezonansi writes. The persons on its list have been selected on the basis of their moral-patriotic views, but no further evidence has been provided to demonstrate their 'treason'. Despite this the Government has welcomed this NDP initiative and willingly commented on it. Consequently, the opposition expects that the Government will raise the topic of ‘spies’ during the local election campaign.
According to the NDP Zurab Noghaideli should be regarded as a traitor alongside well-known historical figures Sergo Orjonikidze and Philip Makharadze. The NDP regards as traitors all those politicians who do not support Georgian’s integration into NATO, saying that they are serving Russia under the guise of neutrality.
Zviad Dzidziguri, Koba Davitashvili and Kakha Kukava, as the initiators of the opposition primary prior to the local elections, are also included in the NDP's list. Valery Kvaratskhelia is also included. On Monday NDP members distributed special booklets on Rustaveli Avenue containing these names and justifying their inclusion in the list.
The politicians included have stated that they do not regard the list as worthy of comment, but the Parliamentary majority has applauded the NDP's initiative and agreed with the contents of the list. Majority leader Petre Tsiskarishvili said that the time has come for collaborationism to be recognised as such in Georgia. He added that politicians on the list have started holding negotiations in The Kremlin since the occupation of Georgia, and this is a negative precedent which can be used by the states being pressed by Russia to grant recognition to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.