The News in Brief
Wednesday, January 29
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Georgia plans to evacuate its citizens from China
Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze recently said that in connection with coronavirus, the evacuation of Georgian citizens from China is planned. The minister also noted that the state will also ban flights.
Minister of Economy Natia Turnava also spoke about the ban today and said that Georgia would probably make this decision for security reasons.
According to the Georgian ambassador to China, three citizens of Georgia are in the city of Wuhan, which is considered to be a place of the outbreak.
106 people have died of coronavirus in China. The number of infected exceeds 4,500. China has restricted 36 million people from 13 cities from traveling to fight the coronavirus.
Coronavirus cases have been reported in more than 10 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam, the USA, France, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, the UK, and Germany.
The virus causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms seem to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. After a week, some people can experience shortness of breath and need hospital treatment.
Coronavirus is a family of viruses that normally affects animals.
The effect of the coronavirus on humans has long been observed mainly in the form of the common cold. In recent decades, however, more serious coronaviruses - like Sars or Mers - have proven potentially deadly to humans.
NGOs address Government on transition to Proportional Electoral System
Transparency International published a special address to the government of Georgia about the proportional electoral system.
The address reads that backsliding of democracy in Georgia over the recent period has come under the spotlight by international organizations and representatives of countries friendly to Georgia. Backing out on the promise to adopt a proportional system, the formation process of the Supreme Court, the ongoing political crisis and the policies of the Government of Georgia has been numerously criticized by the country’s domestic and international partners.
“This is confirmed with the critical statements made at the European Parliament and the strongly worded letters addressed to the Prime Minister of Georgia by the representatives of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate,” reads the letter.
It also notes that Georgia’s ratings have declined in a number of international indexes. The political environment is incredibly tense and there is increasing polarization in the public, which will have a negative effect on the pre-electoral environment and the day of the Parliamentary elections. In these circumstances, it is imperative for the Government of Georgia and the ruling party to take steps aimed at de-escalating the situation and restoring the reputation of the country in the eyes of the international partners.
According to the report, the situation can be resolved by following through with the public promise of adopting a proportional electoral system. This decision would be perceived by the local and international society as the ruling party’s readiness to support the country’s democratic development. The creation of a free and fair election environment in the run-up to the Parliamentary elections in 2020 will strengthen the legitimacy of the election, restore the trust of Western partners and contribute to the improvement of the country’s reputation. The change of the electoral system will enable political parties to start preparing for their pre-electoral activities, reduce the level of polarization and create the conditions for a stable electoral environment.
“Therefore, we once again call on the Georgian Dream to take into account their responsibility towards the democratic development of the country and to re-submit the initiative on Constitutional Changes to the Parliament in relation to the adoption of a proportional electoral system,” reads the address.
Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) was established on 7 May 2000 as a local non-governmental organization committed to combating corruption in Georgia through the promotion of transparency and accountability. Its mission is to serve as the primary source of information on corruption reform in Georgia, to assist the Georgian government and the broader public in facilitating reform in sectors where corruption exists, to build and strengthen institutions and promote good governance. In recent years, TI Georgia has become Georgia's leading advocacy-based think tank.
Georgia plans to evacuate its citizens from China
Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze recently said that in connection with coronavirus, the evacuation of Georgian citizens from China is planned. The minister also noted that the state will also ban flights.
Minister of Economy Natia Turnava also spoke about the ban today and said that Georgia would probably make this decision for security reasons.
According to the Georgian ambassador to China, three citizens of Georgia are in the city of Wuhan, which is considered to be a place of the outbreak.
106 people have died of coronavirus in China. The number of infected exceeds 4,500. China has restricted 36 million people from 13 cities from traveling to fight the coronavirus.
Coronavirus cases have been reported in more than 10 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam, the USA, France, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, the UK, and Germany.
The virus causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms seem to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. After a week, some people can experience shortness of breath and need hospital treatment.
Coronavirus is a family of viruses that normally affects animals.
The effect of the coronavirus on humans has long been observed mainly in the form of the common cold. In recent decades, however, more serious coronaviruses - like Sars or Mers - have proven potentially deadly to humans.
NGOs address Government on transition to Proportional Electoral System
Transparency International published a special address to the government of Georgia about the proportional electoral system.
The address reads that backsliding of democracy in Georgia over the recent period has come under the spotlight by international organizations and representatives of countries friendly to Georgia. Backing out on the promise to adopt a proportional system, the formation process of the Supreme Court, the ongoing political crisis and the policies of the Government of Georgia has been numerously criticized by the country’s domestic and international partners.
“This is confirmed with the critical statements made at the European Parliament and the strongly worded letters addressed to the Prime Minister of Georgia by the representatives of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate,” reads the letter.
It also notes that Georgia’s ratings have declined in a number of international indexes. The political environment is incredibly tense and there is increasing polarization in the public, which will have a negative effect on the pre-electoral environment and the day of the Parliamentary elections. In these circumstances, it is imperative for the Government of Georgia and the ruling party to take steps aimed at de-escalating the situation and restoring the reputation of the country in the eyes of the international partners.
According to the report, the situation can be resolved by following through with the public promise of adopting a proportional electoral system. This decision would be perceived by the local and international society as the ruling party’s readiness to support the country’s democratic development. The creation of a free and fair election environment in the run-up to the Parliamentary elections in 2020 will strengthen the legitimacy of the election, restore the trust of Western partners and contribute to the improvement of the country’s reputation. The change of the electoral system will enable political parties to start preparing for their pre-electoral activities, reduce the level of polarization and create the conditions for a stable electoral environment.
“Therefore, we once again call on the Georgian Dream to take into account their responsibility towards the democratic development of the country and to re-submit the initiative on Constitutional Changes to the Parliament in relation to the adoption of a proportional electoral system,” reads the address.
Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) was established on 7 May 2000 as a local non-governmental organization committed to combating corruption in Georgia through the promotion of transparency and accountability. Its mission is to serve as the primary source of information on corruption reform in Georgia, to assist the Georgian government and the broader public in facilitating reform in sectors where corruption exists, to build and strengthen institutions and promote good governance. In recent years, TI Georgia has become Georgia's leading advocacy-based think tank.