News

News

Change of U.S. Ambassador is ordinary event

By | February 20th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The change of U.S. Ambassador to Georgia is routine, says the embassy’s press service. ‘Ambassadors are replaced once in three years. John Bass has been Ambassador to Georgia since October 2009. Consequently, three years will pass in autumn 2012. He may […]

Ex-MP arrested for coup attempt as crosses border to Georgia

By | February 20th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A former parliamentarian has been arrested in Georgia today just as he entered the country from Armenia. Valeri Gelbakhiani had just crossed the border as law-enforcers arrested him. He voluntarily surrendered and was transferred […]

On Saakashvili’s TV, it’s a time for heroes and challenges

By | February 19th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Hunters saved from freezing to death, sailors are saved from pirates, a monk saved from hostage-takers, villagers saved from water and power shortage. Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili gives you the heroes of daily life. As DF Watch continues […]

Obama proposes Norland as new U.S. Ambassador to Georgia

By | February 19th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Barack Obama has proposed Richard Boyce Norland as new U.S. ambassador to Georgia. The President proposed Norland as replacement for current ambassador John R. Bass, whose term expires this autumn. He was appointed in October 2009. The Senate’s Foreign […]

Azerbaijani cinemas boycott Russian war movie

By | February 18th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Just days before the premiere, two cinemas in Azerbaijan have decided not to show a new Russian movie set during the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Much of the new movie “August. Eight” was shot in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the backdrop to the story […]

New party finance rules create chilling effect, warn activists

By | February 17th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The loud sound of a horn and whistles was heard outside parliament in Tbilisi today, as activists and rights groups protested against a new set of rules that they say threaten basic freedoms. They came there not only to show how strongly opposed they are […]

Georgia to build new coal power station

By | February 17th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The former Soviet republic of Georgia is going to construct a new coal power station in the near future. This was announced Thursday by the director of Georgian Industrial Group, Nana Turnava. She said the group has signed a contract with the Turkish […]

Georgian authorities deny sabotaging opposition TV

By | February 17th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Revenue Service says it can not understand the charges made by a billionaire opposition politician that his TV van was damaged in customs. The revenue service said in a statement Thursday that Bidzina Ivanishvili’s claim that TV equipment he was […]

Georgia extends military service to 15 months

By | February 16th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s defense ministry says the current twelve month service length is not enough to properly prepare persons called up for compulsory military service. It is now asking parliament to increase the length of service to 15 months. The bill is certain […]

Party finance rules may be used against anybody, say activists

By | February 16th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Outspoken activists and rights groups met in Tbilisi today and signed a petition called ‘It affects you too’, demanding that something is done to rein in Georgia’s new rules about party financing which they see as a threat to basic rights. The rules […]

Ivanishvili’s TV van damaged in customs

By | February 16th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

  TBILISI, DFWatch – A billionaire in Georgia who is building an opposition movement says his TV equipment was deliberately damaged while in customs. Bidzina Ivanishvili’s press office said Tuesday that a production van belonging to his TV company with broadcasting […]

Russia to enlist locals in occupation army, Georgia says

By | February 16th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s foreign ministry says Russia keeps on militarizing Georgia’s occupied regions, is deploying the newest offensive weapons and continues building military infrastructure. The Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Russia […]

South Ossetian opposition leader considers quitting

By | February 15th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The South Ossetian opposition leader who was injured in an attack by authorities last week says she will decide in three days whether to stay in politics or quit, and that she might ask for political asylum elsewhere. “It’s the first time I got the idea about getting out of South Ossetia. I [...]

Suspected bomb found outside Russian consulate in Tbilisi

By | February 15th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A suspected explosive device was reported to have been found outside Russia’s consulate in Tbilisi Wednesday. However, it turned out to be just an empty suitcase, according to Interior Ministry spokesperson Shotia Utiashvili. The suspicious object […]

Israel to establish visa-free travel with Georgia

By | February 15th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Israel’s transport minister proposes to establish visa-free travel with the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The proposal was put forth during a visit to Israel February 13 by Georgia’s minister of economic development Vera Kobalia and is reported on […]

Strong Georgian opposition party takes form

By | February 15th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

  TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili today presented the members of the initiative group for his new political party called Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia. Among the members of the group are famous public figures, lawyers, a journalist, also […]

Dzhioyeva: No heart attack, I was physically harassed

By | February 15th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The de facto authorities in South Ossetia said she suffered a heart attack and had to be sent away to Russia for treatment. But now opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva denies she had a heart attack at all. She says her injuries were caused by physical and […]

Finding Israel embassy bomber is first priority for Georgian leader

By | February 14th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia is giving the highest priority to investigating Monday’s foiled bombing attempt against the car of an employee at the Israeli embassy. President Mikheil Saakashvili’s press spokesperson Manana Manjgaladze said this today at a regular briefing. […]

Georgia and Iran’s close relations boosts travel and investments

By | February 14th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia and Iran’s new visa free agreement has led to a tripling of travel. We take a closer look at the extent of cooperation between the two countries. The agreement about visa-free travel between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Georgia came into […]

U.N. Envoy criticizes Georgia for not respecting human rights

By | February 14th, 2012|Categories: Elections, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A United Nations envoy says the new party finance rules Georgia introduced in December are a violation of human rights. Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai says that ‘they at times use ambiguous language, are fuelling an overall climate of distrust, and […]

Terror suspect arrested, ‘unrelated’ to embassy attacks

By | February 14th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A terror suspect was arrested in Zugdidi Tuesday, but Georgian authorities deny that it is linked with yesterday’s bomb attacks against Israeli embassies in Georgia and India. The Georgian Interior Ministry Tuesday arrested a person suspected of planning […]

Old Tbilisi square sports a white cover as protest goes on

By | February 14th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi’s old Gudiashvili Square was fully covered with white snow on Sunday as people showed up to defend it once more from an uncertain fate. Even though it was a freezing minus five degrees, people still gathered on the square on February 12 at what […]

Turkish company cancels hydro electric project in Georgia

By | February 14th, 2012|Categories: Environment, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Work to construct one of the biggest hydro electric power stations in Georgia has been halted, after its Turkish investor pulled out. The Georgian government explains that the Turkish investor refused to go through with the project, and therefore a new […]

Car bomb defused in Tbilisi, Israeli embassy driver targeted

By | February 13th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – An explosive device was found under the car of a driver for the Israeli embassy in Tbilisi early Monday morning. The same day, a bomb went off in the Indian capital New Dehli, injuring two people; a driver for the Israeli embassy and a diplomat’s wife. […]

Georgia’s ruling party saves its assumed opponent

By | February 13th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – In the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the elected assembly’s minority block is in danger of breaking up. So the ruling party is helping them out. One more member of parliament (MP) from the ruling party has left the party. Mikheil Machavariani, first […]

Russia’s wrestling coach fired, was South Ossetian candidate

By | February 13th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A South Ossetian ex-politician has been fired from his position as coach for Russia’s national wrestling team. Dzambulat Tedeev is an opposition candidate who tried to register for the region’s presidential election last November, but was denied […]

It affects you too: Petition in Georgia against new election rules

By | February 13th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Most newspapers in the former Soviet republic of Georgia today publish a petition which protests controversial changes to a law about party financing. When the law on Political Associations of Citizens was changed in December 2011, it caused a strong […]

Georgian president to brief own party after Obama visit

By | February 13th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Today at 17:00 the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili will meet representatives of the parliamentary majority at his residence in Tbilisi’s Avlabari district. Items on the agenda will be Georgia’s domestic and foreign policy. Majority representatives […]

Georgian parliament saves its moderate minority

By | February 13th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – In the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the bigger parties are giving away representatives in an apparent effort to prevent the moderate opposition from becoming too small. The radical faction Unity for Justice seems to be building up steam, as Roman […]

Doctor says South Ossetian opposition leader had been beaten

By | February 12th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The acting president of the Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia claims the situation in the region is within the frames of the law. An opposition leader who was detained Thursday evening is still in hospital after suffering a stroke. “Alla Dzhioyeva […]

Monk released after 25 days’ captivity in Abkhazia

By | February 12th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian monk who mysteriously disappeared in Abkhazia is free after 25 days of captivity and has returned home. The monk Iona, or Mamuka Maisuradze, was detained in Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia nearly three weeks ago. Shota Utiashvili, head of […]

Party finance watchdog may be willing to curb its powers

By | February 11th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Several leading Georgian organizations are now demanding clearer limits for the powers of the country’s party finance watchdog. The Chamber of Control itself is considering changes in its powers. The groups met Friday with the head of the Chamber of Control’s […]

Groups under threat in Georgia mobilize to defend rights

By | February 11th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Organizations in the former Soviet republic of Georgia are planning to take immediate measures together with media workers to protest against a new law amendment which they claim poses a serious threat to freedom of speech, freedom of the media and […]

Dzhioyeva regains consciousness, refuses to be sent away to Russia

By | February 10th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – South Ossetian opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva has regained consciousness in a hospital in Tskhinvali. Doctors want to transport her out of the breakaway republic and to Russia, but she refuses to be moved. It was just one day before she was going to hold […]

Media protests against photo ban in parliament

By | February 10th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The Coalition for Media Advocacy says it is unacceptable to prevent journalists from bringing cameras into the session hall of the the Georgian parliament. It recently became known that there will be a photo ban in the new Georgian parliament building in […]

Wife of opposition financier to sue Georgia’s Saakashvili

By | February 10th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The wife of opposition financier Bidzina Ivanishvili is suing Mikheil Saakashvili, the president of Georgia, after he wrongfully revoked her citizenship. Saakashvili revoked Ekaterine Khvedelidze’s Georgian citizenship last October, at a time when […]

Abkhazian leader asks EU, don’t try to teach us how to live

By | February 9th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The leader of the Georgian breakaway republic Abkhazia asks the EU not to teach Abkhazians how to live. “You can get blind from brilliant ideas of the international diplomacy, but they are not for Abkhazia. Our request is don’t teach us how to live. […]

South Ossetian opposition leader detained, had heart attack

By | February 9th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The popular opposition leader in South Ossetia, Alla Dzhioyeva, has been detained, reports Ekho Kavkaza. The internet portal writes that unidentified officials entered the politician’s headquarters and detained Dzioyeva, who refused to go with […]

Abkhazia to ask EU to recognize homemade passports

By | February 9th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Abkhazia wants the EU to recognize the Georgian breakaway region’s own passports as valid travel documents, just as is the case with North Cyprus. De facto foreign minister Viacheslav Chirikba said this February 8 after meeting Philip Dimitrov, […]

Ivanishvili takes part in street protest for the first time

By | February 9th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili calls for the government to investigate a police special operation in 2006 which took the lives of two young men. It’s known as the Vazagashvili case and gathers a crowd every year at the spot near Paliashvili […]

Georgia notes record number of visitors, but are they tourists?

By | February 9th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia recorded a record number of visitors entering the country in January 2012. According to data from the Border Guard Department and the National Administration of Tourism, 227 006 international travelers entered the country in January, which is 41% […]

Georgian authorities go after election observers

By | February 9th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The government of Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili has begun an unprecedented move to cut off the foreign funding of civil rights groups and election observers, because it believes that the groups are trying to affect the outcome of the election this fall. […]

As winter freeze hits Tbilisi, the garbage fee jumps

By | February 8th, 2012|Categories: Economy, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Among all the other problems the weather is causing, Tbilisi citizens have one more worry: Their garbage fee has increased dramatically. A few months ago, a law amendment made the municipal garbage fee dependent on the electricity bill, so the more […]

Georgia hit by up to two meters of snow, schools closed

By | February 8th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Snowy weather is creating difficulties in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The whole country is currently covered with up to two meters of snow, but the transit of goods east-west is flowing normally. The international airport in Tbilisi says their […]

Tenser by the day in Tskhinvali, Moscow ambassador to run

By | February 8th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The situation in Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia ahead of a rescheduled elections is getting more strained day by day. The region’s state security committee released a statement Wednesday warning of ‘possible provocations by Georgian special […]

Why newspapers are sold from bicycle stands in Tbilisi

By | February 8th, 2012|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – In the Georgian capital, news hungry citizens can now get their daily update from a bright red bicycle. The reason the new mobile newsstand is hitting the streets is that City Hall has removed many of the old permanent booths. Since last December, independent […]

New photo prohibition in Georgia’s parliament

By | February 8th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Journalists in Georgia will no longer be allowed to bring cameras into the session hall of the Parliament building. This is where plenary sessions are held. They will also be prevented from having cameras with them in the small meeting rooms where committee […]

Medvedev wants to reestablish trade relations with Georgia

By | February 7th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Russian President Dimitry Medvedev says the Russian and Georgian people should have relations and thinks it’s therefore necessary to restore trade relation. The president made this statement on Monday during a meeting with his supporters. “We have […]

Saakashvili ducks issue of following in Putin’s footsteps

By | February 7th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – There is growing uncertainty about whether the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili may stay on as prime minister after the end of his second term as president. Yesterday, the editorial board of the Washington Post published a comment in which […]

New criminal procedure law doesn’t work: lawyers

By | February 7th, 2012|Categories: Legal reform, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – It is one of Georgia’s most touted reforms abroad, but now lawyers who have experienced it in practice warn that the overhauled Criminal Procedure Code of 2010 isn’t working. The reform saw deep involvement by top legal expertise from […]

Kremlin favorite withdraws from South Ossetian election

By | February 7th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The situation in Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia is getting more complicated as both top candidates refuse to take part in a rescheduled election on March 25. Kremlin favorite Anatoly Bibilov says he refrains from taking part […]

Journalist’s home shot at in Tbilisi

By | February 6th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A shot was fired at a journalist’s house in the Georgian capital Monday. No-one was injured. The journalist Khatuna Paichadze was at work when the shot rang out at around 14:00 local time. The bullet broke a window in her first floor flat in an Italian yard […]

Ban Ki-moon discussed security with Georgia’s foreign minister

By | February 6th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been in contact with the foreign minister of Georgia to discuss security issues. It’s the country’s deputy foreign minister Nikoloz Vashakidze who brings this information at a regular briefing on Monday. […]

Georgia does not consider role in US-Iran conflict

By | February 6th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News, World|Tags: |

TBLISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Speaker of Parliament says that there is no talk of Georgia having a role in a potential conflict between Iran and the USA. Davit Bakradze was commenting a statement made earlier by the deputy secretary of the country’s security council, Batu Kutelia, […]

Georgian youth learn English, and keep their Russian too

By | February 6th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – English is first priority for Georgian youth, but they might as well keep a basic knowledge of Russian too, just in case. Margo is getting ready to go abroad for a year through an exchange program, after graduating from university last summer, specializing in journalism. […]

Georgia’s Saakashvili: U.S. started sending troops in 2008 Russia war

By | February 5th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president says Russia stopped its attack in August 2008 after the United States started deploying forces to assist the small country. Mikheil Saakashvili was speaking to students at the U.S. Naval Academy February 3, a speech that was carried […]

Dzhioyeva prepares inauguration, asks candidates to withdraw

By | February 4th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A South Ossetian opposition leader calls for the other candidates to not take part in a rescheduled election March 25, calling it illegal, and instead recognize her as the legitimate head of government. Several candidates have registered with the Central […]

Georgia’s dead prime minister: The case that won’t go away

By | February 4th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Seven years after his death, the anniversary of Georgia’s late prime minister Zurab Zhvania is still testimony to the fact that many refuse to accept the case as closed. Some of the youth who gathered in front of parliament in Tbilisi Friday bore […]

Europe’s biggest shopping mall just built, in Georgia

By | February 4th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president says Georgia already is the biggest trade hub in the Caucasus region and that the construction of Europe’s biggest shopping center is just completed here. He made this statement during his speech at Georgetown University in Washington. […]

Georgia to boost defense following Saakashvili’s U.S. trip

By | February 4th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Defense Minister signals that his country will strengthen its military capability. Bacho Akhalaia made the statement on February 2 after the meeting his U.S. counterpart Leon Panetta at a meeting of defense ministers among NATO […]

Saakashvili: New phase of military cooperation

By | February 4th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – “The military cooperation between Georgia and USA is entering a completely new stage, which means that Georgia will better protect itself,” Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili says. The president said this Thursday during his visit to the U.S. after meeting with […]

Saakashvili defends his government’s successes

By | February 3rd, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president says the Georgian government has delivered on its promises. He said this during a speech at Georgetown University as part of his official visit to the U.S. this week. “Our economy has quadrupled. Crime has decreased fivefold. The poverty level has fallen […]

Increased public fees helped root out corruption: Saakashvili

By | February 3rd, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – During a speech at Georgetown University in Washington, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said that his first presidential salary was 40 dollars and the state treasury was completely empty when he came to government in what is called the […]

A monk’s mysterious disappearance in Abkhazia

By | February 2nd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The de facto head of the Abkhazian church Besarion Aplia confirms that a Georgian cleric was arrested in Abkhazia a few days ago. Aplia says the Georgian cleric didn’t have his documents in order. Georgia discussed this issue on Tuesday during a regular […]

Saakashvili says rose revolution can not be turned back

By | February 2nd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili says the changes his country has been through can not be undone by himself nor anyone else. He was speaking at the US Institute of Peace on invitation from the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based […]

Russia-Georgia border hit by bad weather

By | February 2nd, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Snowfall and strong winds are making trouble for people all over Georgia. More than 72 000 were without electricity Thursday morning. The biggest distributor, Energo-Pro, said they had brought down the number of customers without power from 64 000 to around 49 000 by early afternoon. Motorists are heavily affected. Sections [...]

Want new rules for media watchdog

By | February 2nd, 2012|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A civil rights group in Georgia wants a new set of rules to ensure that the country's media watchdog becomes more independent. Georgian Young Lawyer's Association (GYLA) last year criticized the present chair of the communications regulatory commission, Irakli Chikovani, for having a conflict of interest. In a study GYLA found [...]

Obama-Saakashvili debriefing with Tom de Waal

By | February 1st, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - We asked Caucasus expert Tom de Waal a few questions following Monday's meeting between U.S. president Barack Obama and Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili in Washington. de Waal is a journalist and writer, previously Caucasus editor of Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and now senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for [...]

Pressured Georgian media reaffirm defense group

By | February 1st, 2012|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Media workers in the former Soviet republic of Georgia met Wednesday to reaffirm their mutual pledge to support eachother in case of harassment from authorities. “The main goal is to fight against illegal actions, protecting each other and solidarity when the media is in trouble,” says Mamuka Glonti, who took the [...]

Saakashvili’s account of Obama meeting challenged

By | February 1st, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian president says the results of his meeting with U.S. president Barack Obama exceeded his expectations. President Mikheil Saakashvili said the issues he discussed with Obama at the White House Monday represent “a new and higher level of cooperation between the two countries; on the one hand military security and on the [...]

U.S. to take more active role in building Georgia’s defense

By | February 1st, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili says that his country's military cooperation with the United States is moving into a new phase. According Saakashvili's press spokesperson, America no longer only prepares Georgian forces for tasks like anti-terrorism or the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, but takes an active role in building Georgia's military capability. According to [...]

South Ossetian peace is fragile, say leaders

By | February 1st, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The leadership of Georgia's breakaway region South Ossetia say an opposition politician's quest to claim election victory threatens a fragile peace and may have serious consequences. Authorities released the statement after talks with opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva, who has been campaigning on and off to claim victory after an election in November which [...]

Obama and Georgia’s Saakashvili did not discuss Iran

By | January 31st, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - According to the Georgian president’s administration, Iran was not on the agenda of Monday's meeting between U.S. president Barack Obama and president Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. Before the meeting many had been speculating that the two would be discussing the increased tension between Iran and the U.S., especially in light of how close [...]

Obama’s ‘transfer of power’ comment discussed in Tbilisi

By | January 31st, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Political Tbilisi is grabbing on to a phrase used by U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday after meeting the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili about having a transfer of power after this falls parliamentary election in Georgia. “I want to express my appreciation for the work that’s been done in the past, but [...]

Obama talks about free trade after meeting Saakashvili

By | January 31st, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - U.S. President Barack Obama said after hosting the Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili in the Oval Office Monday that the United States will explore various trading options, including the possibility of a free trade agreement. The president made it clear that there still is a lot of work to be done and that a [...]

Whose election campaign will Georgia-U.S. summit benefit?

By | January 30th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - People in Georgia are looking forward to today’s meeting between the U.S. and Georgian presidents in Washington, both of whom are near the end of their terms. Analysts speculate that the summit may be part of either of their election campaigns, or is payback for Saakashvili accepting Russia as a member of the [...]

Georgian youth: Learn the truth about our country

By | January 30th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - As the presidents of the United States and Georgia are preparing for their first meeting in Washington, Georgian youth groups today rallied in front of the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi. Their message was that American authorities need to know more about what’s really going on in this country and not believe [...]

Georgia increases subsidy for political ads

By | January 30th, 2012|Categories: Elections, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The government in Georgia increases the state funding of political TV ads to create a more level playing field for this year’s election. But analysts say it’s not enough. An extra 2.2 million laris, or nearly 1.3 million US dollars, will be set aside in the state budget for subsidized political [...]

Historic Tbilisi square was dying, springs to life

By | January 30th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Gudiashvili square in central Tbilisi seemed dying for years, but in the last month has had a revival thanks to a protest against new plans to modernise it. Every other Sunday, protesters gather at the Gudiashvili, which lies just behind Freedom Square, as a symbol of protest against the people responsible [...]

Russian company patented Georgian wines in Germany

By | January 30th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia has reclaimed three brand names of wine that had been patented in Germany by a Russian company. The company, Moscow Wine and Spirits Company GmbH, had been selling the wine brands Tsinandali, Kindzmarauli and Khvanchkara. Irakli Ghvaladze, head of Sakpatent, Georgia's intellectual property agency, says these brands are of Georgian [...]

New deadlock in South Ossetian leadership contest

By | January 29th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - South Ossetian opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva wants to have her inauguration on February 10. The location for the ceremony has not been announced. “I appeal to the acting president of South Ossetia requesting that the transfer of power is done in a civilized way, as fits a legally elected president,” Russian [...]

Georgia hopeful about new ‘Swiss’ border checks

By | January 28th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Bakradze hopes that Switzerland will be able to fully monitor the flow of goods across the border between Georgia and Russia. Bakradze said this at a meeting with the delegation of the Swiss Foreign Affairs Department. Russia occupied parts of Georgia's territories after the war [...]

Georgia’s ruling party responds to trickery accusation

By | January 28th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian speaker of parliament says lawmakers never rubber-stamp laws after receiving advice from the Council of Europe. Davit Bakradze was responding to criticism from a think tank that the ruling party manipulated the legislative process by changing a law after it had been submitted to the Council of Europe for [...]

Two thousand villagers waiting to know when to move

By | January 28th, 2012|Categories: Environment, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Villagers in Upper Svaneti are waiting for a report which is supposed to guarantee their forced resettlement follows a democratic process. But the country's energy minister said in December that no matter what the results are of the environmental and social impact assessment, the Khudoni hydropower project will be built. Khudoni, [...]

Confusion sets in over Georgian election reform

By | January 27th, 2012|Categories: Legal reform, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - As Georgia is heading for potentially the first real competitive election, confusion arose Friday over different versions of the same law. A think tank says the government significantly changed a draft law which was sent to the Council of Europe (CoE) for advice. The Georgian Development Research Institute, which was founded [...]

Georgia allows hunting of endangered species

By | January 27th, 2012|Categories: Environment, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia allows hunting of rare animal species, which could lead to their extinction, environmentalists claim. The legislative changes will also allow hunting in protected areas. Hunting and protection of species is regulated by a kind of laws used under the Soviet Union called normative acts and decrees. The law doesn’t directly [...]

Georgian authorities accuse opposition movement of fraud

By | January 27th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian authorities accuse the opposition movement of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili of making a fraudulent business deal. The claim is put forth in a statement posted on the web pages of the Chamber of Control's financial monitoring unit, signed by its head Natia Mogeladze. Her unit has been controlling Mr Ivanishvili's movement [...]

Georgia asks Russia to close embassies in breakaway regions

By | January 26th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian president says diplomatic relations with Russia will only be restored if Russia closes its illegal embassies in Georgia’s two breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Mikheil Saakashvili's statement comes as a response to what Russian president Dimitry Medevedev said Wednesday; that he wants to restore diplomatic relations with Georgia, [...]

Georgia answers Medvedev’s invitation: ‘Any time’

By | January 26th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia’s foreign minister says his country never refused to restore negotiations with Russia. Grigol Vashadze made the statement during a session of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly, while answering a question from an MP from the Netherlands. After a speech by Vashadzem the Dutch MP wanted to know what his [...]

Medvedev wants to restore diplomatic relations with Georgia

By | January 26th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Russian president Dimitry Medvedev says he wants to restore diplomatic relations with Georgia. But the president adds, only if he won’t have to shake hands with one person. That one person is understood to be Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili. Diplomatic relations with Russia and Georgia suspended after the war in 2008, [...]

Report: Press freedom is declining in Georgia

By | January 26th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia is no longer the leading country in the South Caucasus in terms of media freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders. Georgia is on a shared 104th place among the 179 countries listed. Last year, Georgia was number 100 on Press Freedom Index, as the ranking list is called. This year's [...]

Ex-pilots left without compensation despite Supreme Court backing

By | January 25th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A group of about ten former pilots demand compensation from the government. For several years now they haven't received their compensation, they say, not even after Supreme Court ruled in their favor. Wednesday the retired pilots gathered in front of the president's residence and started a hunger strike, demaning compensation, and [...]

Firewood in Georgia: burning the candle in both ends

By | January 25th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgians use nine times more wood than what is sustainable, according to a new study. If nothing is done, it will lead to a catastrophe, according to Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN). Annual firewood consumption, measured in energy output, is 12 billion kWh, while the sustainable level in Georgia is only [...]

Saakashvili to also meet Biden and Boehner

By | January 25th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili plans to meet other top people while he's over to talk with President Obama, including the Vice President and the House Speaker. While in Washington, President Saakashvili will have meetings with other top people both in the U.S.'s legislative and executive branch, including Vice President Joe [...]

Georgian president questions Human Rights Watch report

By | January 25th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, says through his press speaker that he may not agree with everything Human Rights Watch (HRW) is writing about his country. HRW's World Report 2011 is sharp in its criticism of the situation in Georgia, much of which revolves around the police operation to clear a [...]

Ivanishvili’s wife gets back her Georgian citizenship

By | January 24th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Ekaterine Khvedelidze, wife of Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, is a Georgian citizen again, after the president decided not to appeal a court ruling. This paves the way for the Ivanishvili couple to formally register a political party and run in the election this fall. On December 27 Tbilisi City Court ruled [...]

Kitsmarishvili lost suit to claim Ivanishvili TV

By | January 24th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Tbilisi City Court did not grant Rustavi Media Management Company's request to sequester TV Company Igrika ltd. The reason is that Igrika ltd is no more the property of Ilia Kikabidze, general director of the independent TV company Maestro. A week ago Eroski Kitsmarishvili's Rustavi Media Management Company went to court, [...]

Georgians still trust their TV, despite hoax of the century

By | January 24th, 2012|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Time Magazine called it one of the greatest hoaxes in history. But 33% of Georgians still trust the channel that scared them out of their wits. That's one the findings Eurasian Partnership Foundation's program called Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) presented Monday. Internationally it's called the hoax news, but locally it [...]

Crisis avoided in South Ossetian power struggle

By | January 23rd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The South Ossetian opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva calls off her protest and enters talks with the regime. Dzhioyeva said that consultations between the opposition and authorities will continue, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. On November 17 she withdrew from a compromise agreement and gave acting president Vadim Brovtsev until [...]

Ruling party mobilizing, gathering passport numbers

By | January 23rd, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia's ruling party has already started mobilizing supporters, before a date for the parliamentary election has been announced. Georgian newspaper Mteli Kvira reports that the National Movement Party has begun compiling lists of of supporters around the various districts of Tbilisi. Party activists are going round collecting passport numbers of people who are [...]

A day in the life… of ‘Misha’

By | January 23rd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Saturday was just another day for president Mikheil Saakashvili. But it dominated the news on Georgian national TV channels. The news was simply put that the president visited Rustavi, a small city just south of the capital Tbilisi, to talk to the locals about how things are going. This news story [...]

Georgia will support West in case of Iran crisis

By | January 22nd, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A Georgian parliamentarian from the governing party says his country will support the West in case of a confrontation between Iran and the U.S. Davit Darchiashvili, head of the Euro-integration committee, says that ‘in case of an Iran-U.S. confrontation, Georgia’s choice will be clear’, which means that ‘Georgia will be with [...]

Crisis in South Ossetia as candidate withdraws from compromise

By | January 22nd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The winner in South Ossetia's cancelled election says she will not participate in the rescheduled election March 25. Instead, Alla Dzhioyeva told a crowd in Tskhinvali Saturday, she’s going to claim the presidency and hold her own inauguration. The exact date for the ceremony will be decided after January 23. “If [...]

Urges UNESCO to Abkhazia to save 10th century fresco

By | January 21st, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia is ready to make an exception from the travel restrictions and let a UNESCO mission enter Abkhazia in order to save a historical monument. According to Georgian legislation, the only way to legally enter or exit Abkhazian territory is by asking permission from Georgian authorities and cross over from Georgian [...]

Georgian media sign treaty for common defense

By | January 21st, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Independent Georgian media units Friday signed a memorandum of mutual defense, vowing that any harassment on any of its member will lead to coordinated action by all the others. It comes after a crisis at the small independent TV station Maestro, which is still broadcasting under emergency conditions; the result of [...]

Saakashvili: Prime Minister Putin is panicking

By | January 21st, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - President Mikheil Saakashvili says it's the Georgian nation the government of Russia has problems with, not the Georgian government, like it claims. Saakashvili's statement was a response to an appearance by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Wednesday, when he criticized one of his opponents because of his Georgian origin. Putin had [...]

Georgia not in talks about U.S. missile shield

By | January 21st, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze says there are currently no negotiations with the United States about deployment of missile defense installations on the territory of Georgia. After the announcement of a meeting between the presidents of the U.S. and Georgia on January 30, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin spoke about the [...]

Perilous work should be compensated, union says

By | January 20th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Nearly 18 000 employees in Georgia work under stressful or hazardous conditions, according to the Georgian Trade Unions, which suggests compensating them for financial loss due to early retirement. In many dangerous professions, there is a mandated upper age limit, but no compensation for the loss of income until they reach pension [...]

Freedom House: Georgian politics is on early 90s level

By | January 20th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - American human rights group Freedom House indicates that Georgian democracy has not recovered from the backlash, but remains at a comparable level to right after independence. Seen overall, the trend is that democracy is improving, but in the wake of the turbulence which Georgia experienced a few years ago it is still on [...]

Four Georgian survivors from ‘Edirne’ return today

By | January 20th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The four surviving Georgian crew members from a Turkish tanker that sank off the coast of Albania will return home today. Avto Basiladze, Koba Partenadze, Vladimer Varshanidze and Ioseb Katamadze were flown from Tirana to Istanbul yesterday and were given further medical examinations there before returning to Batumi sometime today. One [...]

Tbilisi welcomes missile defense despite warning

By | January 20th, 2012|Categories: News, Security|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A Georgian parliamentarian from the governing party welcomes the idea of Georgia as location for parts of the U.S. missile defense system. Davit Darchiashvili, who heads parliament’s EU integration committee, said it while commenting statements by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that if America places parts of its missile defense in [...]

Abkhazian leader opposed to neutral passports

By | January 19th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The leader of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is opposed to so-called neutral passports being introduced. Neutral identity papers is a form of documentation used in Georgia for persons who are from the breakaway parts. Last summer Georgia’s parliament introduced a neutral passport that may be offered for people who live in [...]

International crisis topic when Obama meets Saakashvili

By | January 19th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - One of the topics of Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili and U.S. president Barack Obama's January 30 meeting will be ways of responding to international security challenges. It's the Georgian president’s administration which writes this in a press release Wednesday. Saakashvili and Obama have met several times before, but this will be [...]

Police action against Chinese settlement in Tbilisi

By | January 19th, 2012|Categories: Investigative reports, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - People at a Chinese settlement south of Tbilisi say the police came and questioned them two days after DFWatch wrote about the place. The Interior Ministry denies that the police was there. DFWatch December 6, 2011, reported on a Chinese market where women and children seemed to be living under cramped [...]

Lawsuit against Ivanishvili’s new TV

By | January 18th, 2012|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The new TV station being established by people around Georgian opposition financier Bidzina Ivanishvili is being sued. It’s called Igrika and was recently bought by a company which is owned by the wife of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire who has said he plans to run in the election this fall and [...]

Obama to discuss fall election with Saakashvili

By | January 18th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - U.S. president Barack Obama will host his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili in the Oval Office on January 30 to discuss the upcoming parliamentary election in Georgia, expected in October. They will discuss democratic reforms that will ensure that Georgia is a vibrant and stable democratic state. Other topics will be the [...]

Give us back our rights

By | January 18th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia removed almost all labor protection in 2006. Now there is a growing movement to reclaim the lost rights. Labor rights campaigners demonstrated in Tbilisi Tuesday against the lack of proper protection. People gathered near the Rustaveli statue with flyers and painted posters with slogans like ‘Labor Code [...]

Christian Democrats alarmed by Russian exercise

By | January 17th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia’s Christian Democratic Party warns against a Russian military exercise of unseen proportions planned for September. The exercise is called ‘Caucasus 2012’ and is organized by the Russian South Strategic Command, one of four geographical divisions making up Russia’s territorial defense. Caucasus 2012 will involve a larger geographical area than previous [...]

Gudiashvili Square protest continues

By | January 17th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - People gathered Sunday on Gudiashvili Square, the third protest against plans to develop the historic area. The rally was titled ‘Minifest as Manifest’ and saw another brandishing of paintings, handicraft and other artwork as well as refreshments and entertainment that continued into the night. Gudiashvili lies just behind Freedom Square, and [...]

Georgia warns against ‘offensive’ Russian exercise

By | January 17th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Russia’s South Strategic Command is planning the exercise ‘Caucasus 2012’ in September. Foreign military attaches were briefed about the exercise at a meeting in Moscow last December with the head of the Russian military’s chief of staff. It will involve not only army but also border guards, air force, interior ministry, security [...]

Cartu sues National Bank over delayed audit

By | January 17th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Bank Cartu of Georgian tycoon Bidznia Ivanishvili sues Georgian National Bank because an audit is being delayed, claiming political motivations. The National Bank started an audit of Cartu right after police seized two million US dollars and one million euros worth of cash last October, suspected of being part of a [...]

Georgians want to be member of EU, not move there

By | January 17th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A new poll shows Georgians expect EU membership reasonably soon, but that very few want to seek employment in other European countries. Compared to 2009, a slightly larger majority think Georgia will become a member of the European Union within ten years. A third think this will happen within the next [...]

Georgian died after explosion on Turkish tanker

By | January 16th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - One Georgian crew member and the Azerbaijani captain have died after a Turkish tanker sunk off the coast of Albania on Sunday. Georgia's consulate in Turkey reports that the body of 22-year-old Beka Urushadze has been identified. The Embassy reports that one more Georgian, Malkhaz Lazishvili, is still missing following the accident, and some [...]

Tbilisi mayor’s 2010 campaign to be scrutinized

By | January 16th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian Chamber of Control is looking closer at the financial activities of an organization which campaigned for Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava in 2010. The organization is called Our Vote to Gigi Ugulava and had several well-known Georgian singers among its members. This is the result of recent changes in the law [...]

Georgian government may play for time in Ivanishvili case

By | January 16th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The government in Georgia can gain one year by delaying a court case which will decide whether to allow an opposition financier to form a political party. By that time, the parliamentary election will be over.  The only legal way for the government not to allow Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and his wife [...]

Opposition politician released

By | January 16th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia has released an opposition politician who was arrested Saturday on charges of illegal possession of weapon. Elguja Chkhaidze, the leader of the Free Democrats in the Lanchkhuti region western Georgia, was released Sunday after paying a 2 000 lari fine. Сourt proceedings in the case are scheduled for March 7. He is [...]

Opposition politician arrested in Georgia

By | January 14th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Police yesterday evening arrested the regional leader of the opposition Free Democrats party in the town of Lanchkhuti, western Georgia. Spokespersons for the party say the police did not allow Elguja Chkhaidze access to a lawyer after his arrest, violating his right to defense. During the search of his home the police found [...]

Georgian sailors held hostage return home

By | January 14th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The fifteen Georgians who had been held captive by Somali pirates returned home yesterday. They were released on Sunday. The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili greeted the sailors in Turkey together with the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Three Turkish sailors were also freed along the Georgians. They have spent 508 [...]

Ivanishvili’s secret weapon: his own TV station

By | January 14th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Many people in Georgia have been expecting that the billionaire who is challenging president Mikheil Saakashvili’s position would have a card up his sleeve. Now it’s revealed: A new TV station. His wife Ekaterine Khvedelidze is part owner of a company which recently bought management rights to an already established TV [...]

Teachers in Georgia fired for political beliefs

By | January 13th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – When Tamar Sukhiashvili, a teacher from the village Kakabeti, was told she was fired, it came as a surprise. The previous day, the school’s director had complimented her on her qualified work. The reason for her firing turned out to be that she held views supportive of the opposition. “I asked [...]

Green Party warns of ecological catastrophe

By | January 13th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Green Party claims a hydroelectric project in Turkey will divert too much water from Mtkvari, possibly creating serious environmental problems. A low water level in the river Mtkvari may lead to epidemics, because sewage water from Tbilisi and Rustavi will then make up the main mass of water, the party [...]

Georgia returns money taken in raid against bank

By | January 13th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The cash which authorities in Georgia took into custody in an armed police raid last October has been returned to businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili’s bank. According to a statement from Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office dated Tuesday, the cash apprehended on October 18, 2011, has been transferred to Cartu Bank's account in accordance with the law, in [...]

Who is building Georgia’s new parliament?

By | January 13th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The construction work on Georgia's new parliament building in Kutaisi is well underway, but who is actually building it, and how much will it cost? A recent push by a local civil rights group revealed that minister Ramaz Nikolaishvili does not give that information out to just anyone. Institute for Development [...]

National Bank shared information about Ivanishvili

By | January 13th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia’s party finance watchdog claims it obtained information about the financial activities of the Georgian Dream movement from the National Bank. The body released a report Tuesday which showed how much money opposition financier Bidzina Ivanishvili has spent on advertisement in various newspapers and TV not affiliated with the government. As DFWatch has [...]

Georgian opposition financier waiting, considering options

By | January 12th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Lawyers working for Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili claim there are 44 days left for the President and the Civil Registry to decide whether to give him back his Georgian citizenship. They also say France will only revoke his French citizenship after the businessman’s has had restored his Georgian citizenship. The businessman’s citizenship troubles [...]

Georgia’s capital is on the move

By | January 12th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is moving yet another state body closer to Europe -- at least a few dozen kilometers. This time it's the Ministry for Internally Displaced Persons which will be moved from Tbilisi to the town of Gori, which lies close to the occupied territories and just a few kilometers from [...]

Georgian tycoon-politician might use wife to form party

By | January 12th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Ekaterine Khvedelidze, wife of the Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili is going to set up a new political party and compete in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Khvedelidze said this today as she appealed for a judge to immediately enforce a court ruling which restores her Georgian citizenship. In October, her husband unexpectedly broke out [...]

Georgian media swept up in campaign finance clampdown

By | January 11th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Newspapers and TV not affiliated with the government in Georgia have been swept up in a major effort by authorities to restrict an opposition financier's influence. Civil rights groups warned in late 2011 that this could happen, and now it has. Georgia's new party finance law is being applied far outside of party [...]

Fox reaffirms UK’s military ties with Georgia

By | January 11th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - British conservative politician Liam Fox calls the administrative border around the Tskhinvali region ‘the occupation line between Free Georgia and Occupied Georgia.’ The MP for North Somerset and former Secretary of State for Defense was visiting the border border area when he made the comment January 9. During his stay in Georgia, [...]

Bankrupcy left workers in crisis

By | January 10th, 2012|Categories: Economy, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Nodar has been working in Georgia's mountainous Bakuriani region for three years with his team of construction workers. But the company which employs him, Nola, has only paid him 2 000 lari out of the 16 000 he is entitled to. “So many today are in the same situation as me," [...]

Media’s alleged Ivanishvili links scrutinized

By | January 10th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - National TV channels in Georgia are scrutinizing the links between political challenger Bidzina Ivanishvili and an opposition-friendly cable channel in Tbilisi. Imedi, Rustavi 2 and GPB, the three national TV stations in Georgia, claim to have uncovered links between Ivanishvili and other parts of Georgian media. One target of the allegations [...]

Saakashvili building megacity without plan

By | January 9th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is starting to build an entirely new city from scratch, but there is no city plan yet. Contruction work is set to start within the year, but no map or street plan is yet in existence for architects and engineers to use. The president's administration has told [...]

Georgian media: One for all, all for one

By | January 9th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia's crisis-stricken free media have agreed on a new plan to react against outside interference in their work. The plan comes after a cable channel had to escape to a different studio and newspapers in Tbilisi have seen many newspaper kiosks torn down, threatening their distribution. Former producer at Maestro TV [...]

Georgian hostages released in Somalia

By | January 9th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Fifteen Georgian sailors taken hostage by Somali pirates have been set free after 508 days of captivity. According to Georgia's Marine Transport Agency, no ransom was paid. But pirates who spoke to the news service SomaliaReport.com said a three million dollar ransom was dropped onto the ship Sunday morning. Right now, the fifteen [...]

Citizenship issue postponed indefinitely

By | January 8th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A Georgian billionaire who wants to run in the election in fall may have to wait for a long time for his citizenship application. Bidzina Ivanishvili lost his Georgian citizenship in October, four days after declaring that he wants to challenge Mikheil Saakashvili's power. He needs a citizenship in order to legally run [...]

Georgian hostages in Somalia to be released

By | January 8th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

Fifteen Georgian sailors who have been held hostage by Somali pirates for a year and a half are expected to be released in a few hours. Their release comes after intense negotiations by a an inter-agency commission within the Georgian government and is reported today by Georgian Tv station Imedi. The 15 were captured [...]

Georgian soldier dies in Afghanistan

By | January 7th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A Georgian corporal has died in Afghanistan while serving in the ISAF mission. This is the twelfth Georgian soldier who dies in the war. According to the Georgian Ministry of Defense, Shalva Palodze died of wounds received during a Taliban attack. Georgia is one of the biggest contributors to the NATO-led [...]

Political ‘interest’ prompted Ivanishvili audit

By | January 7th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – A political movement in Georgia must follow rules for party financing, because it wants to impact the election. The new head of Georgia’s campaign finance watchdog, Natia Mogeladze (pictured), says she ordered Ivanishvili's movement to report on its finances because they made statements indicating political intentions. “The motivation was their own [...]

Ivanishvili company claims harassment by customs

By | January 6th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A company owned by Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili claims the customs service is deliberately damaging goods as they arrive from abroad, and that this only started after he said he wanted to go to politics. His company Cartu Group says goods arriving through customs have a loss of 700 000 lari, [...]

Georgia relaxes detention practice

By | January 6th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian interior minister Vano Merabishvili (pictured) claims he is relaxing a controversial practice called administrative detention. Prisoners will be able to make phone calls, receive family members, talk to their lawyer and have more time to shower and be in the open air, the minister promises. The reason for the [...]

Party finance boss’ neutrality questioned

By | January 6th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Opposition parties in Georgia object against the appointment of an employee at the Ministry of Justice as new head of the party finance monitoring body. The objections come not only from the many fiercly anti-government parties, but also from those that signed an agreement with the government last summer about how to overhaul [...]

Full checkup for Ivanishvili’s nascent bloc

By | January 5th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - One day after being given responsibility for enforcing Georgia’s new tough rules on campaign financing, Natia Mogeladze takes the bull by the horns and asks the country’s new opposition movement to see their finances. This is the first time a new, controversial law on party financing is being applied outside of party politics, [...]

Detainees may register at university

By | January 5th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Youth who are sentenced to administrative detention in Georgia will be guaranteed that they will be able to register as a university student while serving time. This has been decided by the Georgian interior minister’s in a decree, effective from January 1, 2012. According to the decree, a person sentenced to administrative detention [...]

Georgia rules out early election for parliament

By | January 5th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – There is uncertainty about the exact date of Georgia’s parliamentary election, with some expecting that president Mikheil Saakashvili might decide to hold them earlier than October. The exact date is decided by the president and must be announced at least sixty days in advance. The constitution says different things; on the [...]

TV staff jailed in Tbilisi

By | January 5th, 2012|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Two employees of a TV station in Tbilisi who were arrested four days ago have been sentenced by a court to fifty days pretrial detention. The two are employed by one of the two opposing sides of a crisis-struck Maestro TV. The independent cable station was split after its manager broke into the [...]

Parliament’s powers weakened, warn lawyers

By | January 5th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) calls for the Minister of Justice to immediately amend a decree he issued which gives the government the right to change the wording a laws already passed by parliament. Last week saw an unusual legal manouver in Tbilisi, when the government changed the wording of a [...]

Little known official will lead campaign finance control

By | January 5th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia has appointed the official who will be in charge of enforcing a set of new tough rules on campaign finance, as the country is preparing to hold parliamentary elections in the fall. The responsibility to enforce the new rules has been handed to Natia Mogeladze, a lawyer about who little is known. [...]

New media protection group formed

By | January 4th, 2012|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Representatives of Georgian media gathered today at the office of Obiektivi, an internet based radio and television outfit, to prepare the draft of a memorandum for a new media association, which will be called Solidarity for Freedom of the Media. The new association is the initiative of Mamuka Glonti, the co-founder [...]

Administrative detention a violation of human rights

By | January 4th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia’s law about administrative offenses is a violation of human rights and the problem must be addressed immediately, says a new report published Wednesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report says that although the government is currently reforming the system, it should get in place emergency measures in order to ensure defendants' [...]

New restrictions on prisoner belongings

By | January 4th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Prisoners in Georgia will no longer have the right to watch DVDs and receive certain kinds of things in the mail but will have to buy those things in the prison shops. Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance Khatuna Kalmakhelidze made this decision by a special decree which is already in force. The [...]

Used cars is Georgia’s export article no 1

By | January 4th, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch – Used cars has become Georgia’s most important export article, accounting for 21% of all exports in 2011. Second and third are ferroalloys and fertilizers. The country’s exports rose by 40% in 2011, compared to the previous year. Georgia ended the year 2011 with an average inflation level of 8.5. In 2010 and [...]

Ask for solidarity

By | January 4th, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Companies distributing newspapers in Tbilisi are calling for their colleagues who want to participate City Hall’s project ‘1000 Booths’ not to sumit bids for locations where there were newspaper kiosks before. Planeta Forte, Matsne and Elva Servis released a common statement regarding the auction, which is held today and will continue tomorrow. In [...]

Hijacked Tbilisi TV cut from sat link

By | January 3rd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A TV station in the Georgian capital has had its satellite link cut. The studios of Maestro TV were taken over November 30 by a businessman who held management rights to it, after which journalists and staff fled the premises. Since then, Meastro's satellite link has been used by the businessman to show [...]

Government to ‘edit’ laws in Georgia

By | January 3rd, 2012|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The government in Georgia has given itself the right to edit the wording of laws after they are passed in order to avoid misunderstandings. Recently a new law brought democracy groups to the streets to protest, but afterwards lawmakers claimed that the contentious part of the law was based on misinterpretation. The law [...]

Eleventh Georgian soldier dies in Afghanistan

By | January 3rd, 2012|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Corporal Besik Niniashvili was serving in Helmand province with the Third Infantry Brigade’s 31th light infantry battalion within the frameworks of the ISAF mission. According to a statement from the Interior Ministry Niniashvili was killed when a mine exploded. He had the medal of Military Merit, an honorary diploma, a medal for combat [...]

New party of billionaire in February

By | December 31st, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili plans on setting up a new political party in the beginning of February, DF Watch was told by the Irakli Alasania, leader of the Free Democrats, one of four parties are affiliated with Ivanishvili. Since the businessman lost his Georgian citizenship he is prevented from being involved in politics, [...]

Prisoners pardoned

By | December 31st, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The President pardoned 114 convicts today, according to the Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance. 75 prisoners, four of whom are women, will leave jail, while 13 prisoners had their sentence halved and 26 had their suspended sentence lifted. The commission to review early release reviewed cases it had received from local councils [...]

Where did the newsstands go?

By | December 30th, 2011|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Representatives of the media, press distributors and other supporters gathered Friday in front of the Holiday Inn at the center of Tbilisi to once again protest against the situation created around the newspapers and press distributing kiosks. ‘We light, Saakashvili darkens’ – this was the message written on fliers that rally participants were [...]

“Retroactive law” was a misunderstanding

By | December 30th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The government says that the political partners of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili won’t have to return the money received from his companies for the last two months. Pavle Kublashvili (pictured), chairman of the Parliament Judiciary Issues Committee claimed this December 29 at the special briefing in parliament. The issue came to the public’s attention [...]

It’s magic! Legal somersault in Tbilisi

By | December 30th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Lawmakers in the Georgian capital seem to have changed a law after it was signed by the president and entered into the formal record. The law raised a chorus of objections from activists who said it violated the constitution and international conventions. Now it appears that the offending paragraph of the law has [...]

Why, Mr President?

By | December 30th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Democracy activists and rights groups descended on president Saakashvili's palace in Tbilisi's Avlabari district Thursday to protest against his signing of a bill into law. Frustration and disbelief has been the dominating reaction among political circles after this became known, and in a spontaneous show of emotion, activists took to the streets outside [...]

Georgia’s richest could become stateless

By | December 29th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, listed by Forbes as the world’s 185th richest, could become stateless, after today renouncing his French citizenship too. A little over two months ago the financier turned politician held triple French-Russian-Georgian citizenship, but after getting entangled in politics he has had to hand in two of them to [...]

New details about who owns Georgian TV stations

By | December 29th, 2011|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian TV stations have released information about who owns them. It has long been a general impression, but hard to prove, that Georgian TV stations are controlled by the government. The information substantiates these suspicions and shows to what extent persons around the country’s president have a stake in the broadcasting media. This [...]

Prisoner torture ignored, claims MP

By | December 29th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Giorgi Tsagareishvili, chairman of the faction Unity for Justice and the member of the Free Democrats accuses the government of prisoner torture and demands that the Chief Prosecutor’s office investigates the torturing of a 22 year old prisoner. He told reporters at a press conference that the director and a security officer at [...]

US embassy’s statement

By | December 29th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

The US Embassy has released a statement regarding the changes to the Georgian Electoral Code and the legislation regarding campaign financing. DF Watch publishes it unchanged: “The United States supports free, fair and reliable elections in Georgia. Our attention is focused on the electoral process. We do not support any specific party or candidate. In this [...]

President signed controversial campaign finance law

By | December 29th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian president has signed the law about political associations of citizens, which imposes restrictions on campaign financing. The amendment includes restrospective powers, which are prohibited by international conventions and the Georgian constitution. This means that the law has come into force and political parties which have received financing which until now was [...]

Fighting in Afghanistan for Georgia’s Security

By | December 29th, 2011|Categories: News, Opinion, Security|Tags: , |

Georgia has increased its military presence in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan making it the biggest non-NATO contributor to ISAF operations. The Georgian parliament supported this decision and the Christian Democratic Movement of Georgia voted in favor. This was a well thought-out decision designed for making Georgia a part of a global security network. [...]

The Flanks That Should Be Well Defended

By | December 29th, 2011|Categories: News, Opinion, Security|Tags: |

Pressure for democratic transformation and modernization challenges Georgia from three main “flanks”: Internal stability – that was not a matter for real concern for President Saakashvili until the public unrest in 2007; imperatives of the European and Euro-Atlantic Integration; a proper Ambition and the promises of the ruling party to the public. Difficult to say, which [...]

New law illegal, say rights groups

By | December 28th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Several authoritative non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Georgia consider the retrospective powers of a new law amendment unconstitutional and are asking the president to veto it. The amendment imposes sanctions on political parties that have received money via private companies during the last few months, which was and still is legal until January 1. [...]

Opposition must return tycoon’s gifts

By | December 28th, 2011|Categories: Elections, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The political partners of the Georgian tycoon turned opposition leader will have to return the money they received from him. Otherwise, they must give it to the state. This is the consequence of a new bill approved by parliament on Wednesday at the third and last hearing. The final version of the bill [...]

Gov’t postpones media monitoring debate

By | December 28th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The ruling party in Georgia has postponed until spring to decide how to monitor the media before next election in ten months time. If things stay the same, the national TV networks will have the same opportunities as last time. During the local elections in 2010, media monitoring was conducted with the support [...]

Access to media crucial in 2012 election

By | December 28th, 2011|Categories: Elections, Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - As a bundle of election related bills are up for final review in parliament, it became clear Tuesday that the ruling party is against a proposal prepared by media workers about how to conduct monitoring of media fairness during the election campaign. The proposal concerns changes to the Election Code and the law [...]

NGOs warn: unfair election system

By | December 28th, 2011|Categories: Elections, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Tuesday Georgia's new election system should have been passed in parliament, but the package of bills was stopped in the last minute by a group of rights activists, who warned of potential problems. The groups are sounding the alarm that the new election system does not create a level playing field. Several experts [...]

Court hands president partial rebuke

By | December 27th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Tbilisi City Court has declared partially invalid a decree issued by President Mikheil Saakashvili on October 11 regarding a businessman and his wife’s citizenship. The court said the president had acted illegally when he issued the decree which revoked the citizenships of the couple, but only in dealing with the businessman’s wife, Ekaterine [...]

Ivanishvili appeals court ruling

By | December 27th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A businessman has decided to appeal a court decision given today which upholds president Mikheil Saakashvili's decision to rob him of his Georgian citizenship. Bidzina Ivanishvili declared October 7 that he would use his significant wealth and influence to remove Saakashvili from power. Four days later the president revoked his citizenship, thereby blocking [...]

Citizenship decision today

By | December 27th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Will a city court in Georgia dare to go against the country’s president? By Tuesday afternoon this should be known, as Tbilisi City Court prepares to announce its ruling in a citizenship case. President Mikheil Saakashvili October 11 revoked a businessman’s citizenship, four days after the latter had declared he would mobilize his [...]

Journalists compensated for May 26 violence

By | December 26th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Three of the journalists who were beaten and shot by police on May 26, 2011, will be fully compensated for health expenses and partly have their lost equipment compensated. Tbilisi City Court announced the decision Monday. In addition four media companies will be compensated. Batumelebi Ltd will be fully compensated for lost and [...]

Ivanishvili renounces Russian citizenship

By | December 26th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili has renounced his Russian citizenship. This comes while there is only one day left until a court ruling about his Georgian citizenship. Ivanishvili held triple Georgian-Russian-French citizenship until recently, but is now only a French citizen. His Georgian citizenship was revoked by president Mikheil Saakashvili shortly [...]

Turkey plans to divert water from Tbilisi river

By | December 26th, 2011|Categories: Environment, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The river which runs through Tbilisi might have its waters levels lowered, because a Turkish power company wants to tap its energy higher up. The Mtkvari, Georgia’s largest river, may be substantially weakened. This could cause problems not only for Georgians, but also in neighboring Azerbaijan, where it feeds the main drinking water [...]

Decision in journalist beatings case

By | December 26th, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Tbilisi City Court will today announce its decision about compensation for the journalists who were beaten and shot by police on May 26. Journalist Beka Sivsivadze (photo) was hit by almost 40 rubber bullets, but is not part of the claim. Three journalists and four media units October 4 went to court to [...]

Warns of destruction of historic square

By | December 25th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A large crowd gathered Saturday on Gudiashvili square in Tbilisi to protest against City Hall’s plans to modernize it. The rally participants demand that City Hall organizes a public meeting about the plans to reassure people that the square is not in danger. They claim the project has not been agreed with society. [...]

Who’s worse? The foreign hand in Georgian politics

By | December 25th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - A Georgian opposition parliamentarian who asked authorities to map out how opposition parties receive their funding, has presented a list showing that the ruling party of President Mikheil Saakashvili is also being financed from abroad, including from Russia. The outspoken MP Giorgi Tsagareishvili’s request to the country’s chief prosecutor was originally meant to [...]

Georgia’s new national security concept

By | December 24th, 2011|Categories: News, Security|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Givi Targamadze, chairman of Parliament's Defense and Security Committee, states that the government should use the national security concept as a daily action document. He made this statement on December 23 in parliament as the National Security Concept was approved. This is the second security concept in the history of the country. The [...]

Theatres to reject opposition financing

By | December 24th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - From next year, Georgian theatres will refuse to accept help from billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, culture minister Nika Rurua said on December 23. Artists are saying the government forced theatre directors to make this decision. The directors have not commented. Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili has been supporting the development of Georgian culture for years. The [...]

A catalogue of brutality

By | December 24th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - In spite of early reports of three dead, five people actually died when police raided and dispersed a peaceful anti-government protest in Tbilisi on May 26, 2011. The horrors visited upon those who were there is the topic of a lengthy report published Friday by the Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association (GYLA). GYLA's report [...]

Want strengthened protection of media

By | December 23rd, 2011|Categories: Media, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Editor of newspaper Rezonansi Eliso Chapidze (pictured) and a group of media workers Friday submitted a bill to parliament, asking for strengthened protection of journalists ahead of next year's parliamentary eleciton. The authors of the bill asks to create the conditions so journalists can work in accordance with international standards. One of their [...]

Media monitoring lacks opposition’s trust

By | December 23rd, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Ten months before Georgia is to hold parliamentary elections, there is still distrust towards how the national TV networks will do their job. The government announced Thursday that it wants to change the way media monitoring is done. Chariman of parliament's legal affairs committee Pavle Kublashvili says there is a discussion to shift [...]

Last chance to adjust election system

By | December 23rd, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Today several laws are up for revision which will change Georgia's election system and set the ground rules for the parliamentary election in October 2012. This will be the second hearing of the changes in the constitution, the electoral code and the law on political associations. Included in the bill are new rules [...]

Claims president had conflict of interest

By | December 22nd, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili had a conflict of interest when revoking a businessman’s citizenship, lawyers argued in Tbilisi City Court Thursday. The case concerns Bidzina Ivanishvili, a popular financier, who October 7 declared that he wanted to run in next year’s parliamentary election. Four days later, Saakashvili personally signed a decree which means [...]

Georgia to allow conscientious objection

By | December 22nd, 2011|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Citizens of Georgia will be allowed to apply for an alternative service to the military, based on religious, ethical and other grounds. The change comes after a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which decided in favor of the country’s Public Defender, who had sued the parliament for being in breach of the constitution. [...]