TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia is preparing for another presidential election. The poll on March 25 will be the region’s second attempt, after the first one failed and led to a still unresolved protest campaign by the winner to claim victory.
DFWatch staff
Russia appoints officials to oversee Georgian regions
TBILISI, DFWatch – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has appointed a special representative to South Ossetia, five days after awarding the same kind of job title in regards to Abkhazia, the other Georgian breakaway region.
The person in charge of South Ossetia, the arena
Georgia denies the existence of paramilitaries
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Interior Ministry said March 21 that all armed groups are under the control of the government.
“There are no other armed units, cannot be and won’t be,” said Shota Utiashvilil, head of the Interior Ministry’s press and analytical department.
U.S. Democrats present their survey of Georgian mood
TBILISI, DFWatch – The U.S. National Democratic Institute today presented its latest findings about public attitudes in Georgia.
The survey was conducted in February 2012 by Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC).
The topics for the questionnaire covered the themes
Groups in Georgia note progress on democracy
TBILISI, DFWatch – A pro-democracy campaign in the former Soviet republic Georgia is noting a slight progress as parliament Wednesday took into account their criticism.
The groups have said that recent changes to the campaign finance rules pose a threat to democracy.
Georgia's promised mega-city is not a fata morgana
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former Soviet republic of Georgia has made the building of Lazika, a hypothetical metropol on the Black Sea, one of its top priorities.
The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili announced the plan at the end of 2011. He said Georgia plans to build
Georgian border police arrests Russian cargo ship
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian border police Monday detained a Russian cargo ship carrying coal across the Black Sea from Ukraine to Turkey.
The Pur-Navolok is now in arrest in the Georgian port Batumi with its Russian crew of ten.
Preliminary information indicates that
Georgian opposition details Saakashvili’s alleged paramilitaries
TBILISI, DFWatch – An opposition candidate Tuesday presented details about an alleged secret paramilitary organization he claims was recently organized by President Mikheil Saakashvili in western Georgia.
Leader of the Free Democrats Irakli Alasania had called the press
Georgia in talks to spare 2 from execution in Malaysia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia is to send a task group to Malaysia to study the situation regarding two Georgians sentenced to death for drug related crimes.
Babutsa Gordadze (26) and Darejan Kokhtashvili (37) were arrested in Malaysia in October 2010, accused of trafficking
Groups note progress about Georgian election rules
TBILISI, DFWatch – In Georgia, a vague new law is on its way to be clarified, as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue their negotiations with parliament’s judiciary committee to amend the law about political unions of citizens.
The concept of ‘related legal