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Compiled by Messenger Staff
Monday, June 21
Georgia should know who killed its first President

Akhali Taoba writes that on June 29 Parliament is scheduled to hear the report of the commission investigating the causes of the first President of Georgia's death. Currently the son of the first president and Chairman of the commission Konstantine Gamsakhurdia is abroad but he will be back on June 28 and present the report then.

The commission has investigated a number of criminal acts and has discovered a number of violations of the law and discrepancies between witness statements and evidence. “Due to these the commission seriously doubts that the official version of Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s death, which can be more or less discounted on the basis of the facts revealed to it,” the commission's report is known to read.

The commission has interviewed former senior state officials and received important and necessary information from them. The commission will now ask for money to be allotted to send some new materials to the US for expert analysis. Konstantine Gamsakhurdia says that Parliament does not have enough resources to do this but will ask Chair of Parliament Davit Bakradze to allot the money.

The commission also wants a prolongation of its term for a further three months, and this will be discussed when Parliament receives the report on June 29.



More Cabinet changes

Rezonansi reports that the expected Cabinet changes will soon be made. Minister of Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili has confirmed that changes are planned but not large scale ones.

It has been reported that Minister of Economy Zurab Pololikashvili has left his post and will be replaced by Minister for Regional Development Davit Tkeshelashvili. Pololikashvili will become Georgia’s Ambassador to Brazil. Tkeshelashvili will be replaced by Ramaz Nikolaishvili, currently head of the road infrastructure department. It is assumed that PM Nika Gilauri will also be dismissed and Minister of Education Dimitri Shashkin will replace him. Gilauri will be appointed Minister of Finance.

Information has been released that the Ministry of the Environment may be abolished and turned into a department of the Ministry of Economy. Minister Goga Khachidze does not confirm this and says that this is not under discussion.

Political analyst Soso Tsintsadze says that the President changes his Ministers when there is nothing else to talk about, adding that changing the names in the Cabinet does not mean that the Government's course will change. “I think the mentality of the Government should change, not the names of its members,” says Tsintsadze.