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Compiled by Messenger Staff
Thursday, February 14
Giorgobiani will cooperate with Georgian Dream member parties

Interpressnews reports that on returning to Georgia after eight years abroad, Bidzina Giorgobiani plans to actively engage in the social-political activities of Georgia. Giorgobiani said on February 13 that the political changes in the country need active legislative and public cooperation. “I will cooperate with the parties that aspire to Georgia’s democratic development and human rights protection,” he said.

Although he has not yet received any proposal from the ruling party, he said he will start cooperation after consultations.

Giorgobiani said he has returned to Georgia only for a month since he received approval for entrance to the country. He said the parliamentary elections were not “ideal” and the United National Movement (UNM) was forced to leave. He said Mikheil Saakashvili’s government used to deliberately weaken democratic institutions, which resulted in tyranny. However, he said then the opposition managed to rally around the Georgian Dream and took steps towards democracy without any damage to the country.



TV hosts leave Imedi

Davit Katsarava and Salome Gogiashvili, hosts of Imedi TV’s morning program, left the TV station. Katsarava told Media.ge that he will reveal the reasons for leaving the company later at a press conference with Gogiashvili.

However, the question about their possible dismissal became the subject of discussions after January 18 when video footage was released about singer Elton John. According to the story, a surrogate mother delivered a baby for John and his male partner.

The story was followed by the hosts’ comments: how they pity John’s surrogate children and how they do not envy that they have two fathers.

The television team met with the council of ethics on January 21. Council member Shorena Shaverdashvili said the meeting aimed at revealing the reasons why the TV hosts made the homophobic statements on-air, which in turn upset several people within civil society.

However, Katsarava did not find his phrase homophobic.