Politics
National Movement designates candidate for Tbilisi mayor
Nika (Nikoloz) Melia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, the out-of-power National Movement party has designated its candidate for Tbilisi mayor by direct appointment. Nika Melia, a relatively unknown former official in the capital, was directly appointed, as the party chose not to conducted a […]
Georgian opposition parties call ruling coalition undemocratic
Nino Burjanadze, leader of Democratic Movement, is one of the signatories of the statement. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Political parties not represented in parliament accuse the government of making one-sided decisions in relation to the Election Code. The opposition parties accuse the governing Georgian Dream coalition of anti-democratic actions when it last week […]
Budget gridlock finally solved in Tbilisi
Irakli Shikhiashvili, head of Tbilisi City Council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council decided to write the 2014 budget themselves, after refusing twice to pass drafts proposed by City Hall. The capital’s executive government is staffed by people from Saakashvili’s National Movement, but the city council is dominated […]
Georgia creates agency to oversee party financing
Lasha Tordia, Director of the State Audit Office. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is creating a temporary commission to monitor the financing of political parties. The new body will be staffed by people from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and will be based at the State Audit Office. Its general director, Lasha […]
Green Party leaves Georgian Dream coalition
Member of Parliament for Georgian Greens, Giorgi Gachechiladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Member of Parliament Gia Gachechiladze on Wednesday left the parliamentary majority, the Georgian Dream coalition. Gachechiladze is a member of the Greens Party, which is not a member of the Georgian Dream coalition, but he represented the coalition […]
National Movement might boycott president’s address
Member of Parliament Giorgi Vashadze said the National Movement are still discussing within the party what to ask Margvelashvili about. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement party’s members of parliament might not attend the Georgian president’s state of the nation address, which takes place in parliament in Kutaisi on February 21. UNM members say they have not yet made a decision about whether […]
Georgian president to hold annual address on February 21
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili will hold his first annual address to parliament on February 21. Outlining the content of his speech already on Friday, Margvelashvili announced he wants to focus on values and Georgia’s ‘strategic vectors’; […]
Tbilisi’s 2014 budget rejected a second time
Sevdia Ugrekhelidze, Acting Mayor of Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The city of Tbilisi’s elected representatives have again failed to approve a new budget for 2014. 17 assembly members supported the new draft prepared by City Hall, 22 voted against. 24 votes were required for the budget to pass. December 29, the […]
City Council to review the capital’s budget on Feb 12
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council will review the 2014 budget bill on February 12. The council failed to approve the budget on December 29, and for more than a month, Tbilisi has had no budget. City Hall has warned that it will cause extensive problems for […]
Margvelashvili promises different state of the nation address
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DWatch–President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili will next week hold his first annual address to parliament. He says this year’s speech will have a completely new format, compared to earlier. The constitution says the president must hold a speech to parliament once a year. […]
Margvelashili planning his first annual address to parliament
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili is in consultations with the speaker of parliament about the date of his annual address to parliament. The Georgian constitution says that the president must visit parliament once a year and present a report about […]
Ivanishvili starts non-governmental organization
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has founded a non-governmental organization called Citizen. Details are scarce, but it is known that Ivanishvili himself will head the new organization and that its goal will be to strengthen civil society in the country. […]
Georgian government members get performance-based bonuses
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Government ministers in Georgia are to be given bonuses according to their performance. Government officials receiving high bonuses was a controversial issue during the previous government. The problem is that under Georgian law, only the salary […]
Tbilisi’s TV tower goes dark due to budget gridlock
The Tbilisi TV tower has gone dark at night because of a budget gridlock in the city. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi’s most visible landmark, the Mtatsminda TV tower, has gone dark at night, because of the the city’s failure to pass a budget for this year. City Hall decided to switch off the light show on the tower because of the City Council’s […]
Tbilisi still without a budget, City Hall warns of problems
Acting Mayor of Tbilisi, Sevdia Ugrekhelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Hall asks the City Council to solve the problem of approving the 2014 city budget. The Council failed to approve the budget on December 29, which means that City Hall is only allowed to spend up to one twelfth of the size of last year’s […]
Georgian government starts weekly meetings with its lawmakers
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili (center) flanked by Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili (left) and Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia on Saturday held the first of what is to be weekly consultations with its coalition’s lawmakers. Davit Saganelidze, Member of Parliament for the Georgian Dream coalition, said the point of the weekly Saturday meetings […]
Tbilisi City Council rejects 2014 budget
TBILISI, DFWatch–A majority in Tbilisi City Council voted to reject the 2014 budget. The proposal received the support of only 18 council members, while 21 voted against. Three abstained. During the preceding debate, a majority of council members criticized how […]
National Movement reacts to mayor’s suspension
The National Movement’s parliamentary leader Davit Bakradze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement party went on the offensive on Sunday and demanded an investigation into claims that the Prosecutor’s Office pressured two judges in a corruption case against Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava. Ugulava was Saturday night suspended from […]
National Movement party resumes work in parliament
Davit Bakradze, leader of the minority in parliament, the National Movement. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement party will resume work in the Georgian parliament on Monday after being absent since December 11. The party’s delegates went on a boycott after a scuffle between one of their MPs and one from the Georgian Dream coalition, which […]
Georgia gets new governors in nine regions
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili on Friday appointed new governors in nine of the country’s regions. The new governors are Irakli Shiolashvili, lawyer, in Kakheti, Zaza Meparishvili, engineer and lawyer, in Imereti, Zurab Rusishvili, […]
Georgia to spend more on health and education in 2014
TBILISI, DFWatch–The new Georgian government has presented a 9 billion lari (about USD 5 billion) budget for 2014 which prioritizes health care and education. The budget bill was approved by 86 votes against 0 at a plenary session on Wednesday. Members of the […]
Georgia increases the president’s salary
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has decided to raise the president’s salary by 2 500 lari (USD 1 450). There has been talk about increasing the president’s pay for the last week and on Tuesday the governing Georgian Dream coalition asked parliament […]
Georgian gov’t presents 2014 budget, expects 5 % growth
Georgian Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s budget for next year will be about 9 billion lari (USD 5.3 billion), Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri says. After the government session on Friday, Khaduri told journalists that a draft budget has been sent to parliament for further review […]
Georgian justice minister changes first deputy
Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian justice minister has replaced her first deputy after the new government was approved by parliament. Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani explained on Monday that she has known Davit Jandieri since the time when he was her intern for three […]
Ivanishvili to announce his new plans in a few months
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says he will announce his future plans in two or three months. Ivanishvili said this during the Georgian Dream party’s congress on Sunday. He said he has to think before he decides how he will continue […]
Georgia’s new PM takes over helm of ‘Dream’ party
From left to right: Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, his wife Nunuka Tamazashvili and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili was Sunday elected as new leader of the Georgian Dream Democratic Georgia Party. Gharibashvili took over as leader after Bidzina Ivanishvili, who founded Georgian Dream two years ago. Delegates also voted for […]
Davit Narmania named candidate for Tbilisi mayor
Davit Narmania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Dream coalition has chosen Davit Narmania, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, as its candidate for mayor of Tbilisi. Narmania is thought to be one of the best ministers in the new government. The decision was made by […]
Ivanishvili: I will not run the country from behind the scenes
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–At the end of his two year run as a politician, former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has published an open letter that rebuts speculations about his future plans. In the letter, titled ‘Postscript’, Ivanishvili writes that he only wants to answer one […]
New Georgian government approved by parliament
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Photo posted on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili has signed a document which appoints former interior minister Irakli Gharibsahvili as prime minister. The new president also has been asked to sign a document by which parliament declares its trust in the new […]
Gharibashvili names new Georgian government
Irakli Gharibashvili presented a government with the same people as before, except for new Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian prime minister in waiting Irakli Gharibashvili on Monday named his new cabinet. It lists the same people as before the inauguration of Giorgi Margvelashvili, with the exception of Gharibashvili’s post as interior minister which will be […]
New Georgian government to face parliament on Wednesday
President Giorgi Margvelashvili has instructed the majority in parliament to form a new government. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–With the inauguration of Giorgi Margvelashvili as president on Sunday, the government is now suspended, but continues as an acting government until parliament has confirmed a new government that will be presented by the president. Parliament will […]
Saakashvili says goodbye, plans to stay out of politics
Photo published on Mikheil Saakashvili’s Facebook page. TBILISI, DFWatch–Outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili says he will ‘temporarily’ leave politics and may go on to work within science. In an open letter posted on Facebook on Friday, Saakashvili explained why he will not attend the inauguration of Giorgi […]
Saakashvili not to attend inauguration of new president
Mikheil Saakashvili is in Europe and does not plan to come home for the inauguration of Georgia’s new president. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili and other top people in the National Movement party will not attend the inauguration of Giorgi Margvelashvili as new president on Sunday. In a statement, the UNM says their people have acted in line with ‘civil standards’ […]
New Georgian interior minister appointed
Georgia’s new Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police Colonel Alexandre Chikaidze will replace Irakli Gharibashvili and become new Georgian Interior Minister. Chikaidze was presented by Prime Minister Gharibashvili on Saturday. The 28 year-old Chikaidze graduated from Tbilisi State […]
President’s reserve fund cut to half
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The president’s reserve fund will be cut from USD 30 million to 15 million for next year. Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri said Wednesday that two months before the end of the year, the president’s reserve fund is empty. He said the president spent […]
Khatuna Samnidze elected new Republican Party leader
Khatuna Samnidze (left) and Davit Usupashvili (right). (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Republican Party, which is member of the Georgian Dream coalition, Sunday elected a new leader at a party congress. The party elected Khatuna Samnidze as new leader. She has been a party member since 2005 and has served as organizational […]
Gharibashvili to decide who will replace him as interior minister
Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s new prime minister, Irakli Gharibashvili, will select his own replacement as interior minister. It was earlier thought that outgoing Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili would decide who will take over as Interior Minister. Ivanishvili explained that now […]
New Georgian prime minister to be announced today
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili will today name his successor. The Georgian Dream political council will first discuss this issue after which Prime Minister will present the candidate to the parliament majority. Ivanishvili will meet with Georgian […]
Davitashvili leaves politics, but remains MP
Koba Davitashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Koba Davitashvili, a member of parliament from the Georgian Dream coalition and leader of the People’s Party, says he is leaving politics because of a lack of support. Davitashvili says he realized after the recent presidential election that he […]
Naming of new Georgian PM postponed until Saturday
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has again postponed the naming of his successor, saying it needs to be discussed in the Georgian Dream political council first. Ivanishvili said Monday at a press conference that he hopes the candidate for new prime […]
Ivanishvili to name successor next week
Outgoing Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says he will name his successor on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the economy minister and one of the possible candidates, is now excluded from the list, going by what the PM said, […]
Opposition politician to sue Ivanishvili for USD 600 mill
Giorgi Targamadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The leader of Christian Democrats plans to sue against Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili for defamation and will demand one billion lari (USD 600 million) in compensation. Ivanishvili Thursday met with newspapers editors to talk about the upcoming […]
Ivanishvili confident ahead of presidential election
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili appeared full of confidence while meeting newspaper editors Thursday, vowing that his coalition, Georgian Dream, is going to win the presidential election. Ivanishvili said he is sure that there won’t be a need […]
Security Council secretary to resign if Ivanishvili bloc wins presidency
Giga Bokeria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Giga Bokeria, Secretary of the Security Council, says he will leave the post if Georgian Dream candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili wins the presidential election. Margvelashvili on Wednesday told journalists that in case of a Georgian Dream victory […]
Ivanishvili to name successor first week of November
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian PM Bidzina Ivanishvili promises to name his successor in the first week of November, after the presidential election. In an interview with Channel 1 on Monday, he said that people will know who the candidate for new prime minister is in […]
Soon leaving, Ivanishvili looks ahead to the next twenty years
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Ivanishvili claims he has fulfilled all the plans he had for the first two to three years after going into politics, and now moves on to the next stage: plans for the next 20 years. Ivanishvili said this during a campaign stop Friday […]
Ivanishvili has decided on who will be his successor
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says he has already selected a candidate for his successor, which will be the most powerful person in Georgia. Ivanishvili said Wednesday he has made a choice between three candidates, but defers […]
Georgia’s lawmakers consider taking a break to campaign
TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia is considering suspending work in October before the presidential election on October 27. Zviad Kvachantiradze, MP from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, on Saturday told journalists that the parliamentary majority agreed […]
Still unknown who will be Georgia’s next prime minister
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Despite the great public interest, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili refrains from naming his replacement as he steps down in the near future. Georgia’s next head of government will benefit from a constitutional change which invests the prime minister with […]
Ivanishvili explains reasons for leaving Georgian politics
Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Press office photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili seems to be sticking to his word and really plans to leave politics after two years in the game. On Monday, he issued another open letter explaining the reasons for his leaving. But again, he left the main […]
Georgian government impatient with delayed ambassadors issue
Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, the government is growing impatient as President Saakashvili has delayed for nine months the confirmation of seven new ambassadors. Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said Saakashvili has not fulfilled his promise, but National Movement […]
Saakashvili wants to promote wine industry after end of term
President Mikheil Saakashvili is feeling bored sitting in his office. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili plans to open an education center for viticulture, wine-making and vine care in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region, where he owns a house and vineyards. Speaking in front of journalists at his palace in Tbilisi Wednesday, […]
Tbilisi budget expanded by 4%
Tbilisi City Hall. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A majority of Tbilisi City Council has voted for expanding the city budget by 17 million lari (USD 10.2 million) to 740 million lari (USD 445 million) — a four percent increase. Mayor Gigi Ugulava from the former ruling National Movement party […]
Georgia’s CEC head goes into politics, may run for president
Zurab Kharatishvili, for years head of the Central Election Commission, left his job to become a politician. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Zurab Kharatishvili, head of the Central Election Commission in Georgia, on Thursday explained that he resigned in order to go into politics and may even run for president. On Monday, Kharatishvili applied to parliament for permission to leave as CEC head. […]
Economy minister and UNM candidate cancel meeting
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said the UNM’s call for a crisis meeting was election PR. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A planned meeting between two top people in the main political blocs in Georgia has been scuttled by a disparaging remark by one of the sides. Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili from the Georgian Dream coalition, and Davit Bakradze, the National […]
Georgian government says economy is not in crisis
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has answered its critics who say that the economy is in crisis, assuring them that all commitments and plans will be fulfilled and that the economy is in no danger. Georgian Dream coalition MPs on Wednesday met with the […]
Locals in Bolnisi demand the resignation of municipality head
Bolnisi municipality building. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Locals of Bolnisi, a town in southern Georgia, demand the resignation of the acting head of the local government, the gamgebeli, because they believe he is not fulfilling any of his duties. People in Bolnisi, in the Kvemo Kartli region, claim that […]
Parliament in Georgia starts to review constitutional amendments
Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia is starting to review a set of amendments to the constitution that aim to balance powers between the prime minister and the parliament, after a draft has been through a process of public discussion. The hearing process […]
Ivanishvili bloc in parliament loses one member
Koba Davitashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Koba Davitashvili, leader of the People’s Party, one of the Georgian Dream coalition partners, on Friday said he is leaving the coalition to run for president. Davitashvili said the reason for his leaving is a systematic disagreement with Prime Minister […]
Ivanishvili denies rumor that Rice offered him to be advisor
GD parliamentarian Tina Khidasheli (left), Condoleezza Rice and Tedo Japaridze, head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tedo Japaridze, who chairs the foreign affairs committee in parliament, denies rumors that former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be appointed as official advisor to the Georgian prime minister. A few days ago, the Russian newspaper […]
Saakashvili loses majority in Tbilisi
Tbilisi city hall. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Saakashvili’s National Movement party has lost its majority in Tbilisi City Council. Members of Georgian Dream coalition, and former members of the National Movement who switched sides after the parliamentary election in 2012, […]
Russian Duma members in Tbilisi — how unusual is it?
Member of Parliament Akaki Minashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A duel of words has broken out in Tbilisi after members of the Russian Duma turned up at a football match between Dinamo Tbilisi and Dinamo Moscow. The friendship match on July 7 is the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union that the two […]
Constitutional amendments going through public review
TBILISI, DFWatch–The public review process of the amendments aimed at reducing the power of the prime minister that he will assume after the presidential elections scheduled for October 27 commenced this week, bringing together MPs, politicians, civil society […]
Government to form constitutional commission and stop court cases
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and the leader of the parliamentary minority, Davit Bakradze, have agreed to create a commission to work on changing the constitution. In return, members of United National Movement won’t be interrogated […]
Saakashvili loses one more Tbilisi council member
Davit Tsereteli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more member of the United National Movement, the party headed by President Mikheil Saakashvili, on Thursday left the party’s faction in Tbilisi City Council. This time it was Davit Tsereteli, chair of the commission on urban planning, who […]
Ivanishvili might leave, but might also stay as PM
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says he can be ‘useful’ for society for twenty more years. The comment came on Wednesday at a routine press conference about current events in the country. Ivanishvili was asked about a recent statement he made […]
Saakashvili’s party loses majority in Tbilisi City Council
Koki Ionatamishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement has lost its majority in Tbilisi City Council after one of its members on Monday decided to leave the UNM faction. UNM used to have 24 seats in the Council and this way remained in majority, […]
Saakashvili’s party suspends work in parliament, again
Levan Bezhashvili from the UNM. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement has again suspended work in parliament, due to the recent detentions of the Tbilisi City Hall and Council officials. Levan Bezhashvili, member of the UNM, on Friday said that their decision […]
Saakashvili again exercises his veto powers
President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili has vetoed the amendment of three more laws in a package passed by parliament. This time it was about the law on broadcasting, the election code and the law about the public defender. The president’s spokesperson […]
Saakashvili’s party to hold primary while gen secretary is in jail
Vano Merabishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili’s party is still planning to hold primary elections to select a candidate for the presidential election, even though party secretary Vano Merabishvili is in detention. The names of the participants have not been revealed, […]
Georgia’s Ivanishvili slams the Washington Post for editorial
Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili claims the Washington Post is drawing conclusions based on information from President Mikheil Saakashvili’s lobbyists. The newly elected head of government demands an answer as to how the newspaper gets […]
Saakashvili’s travels: Whose fault is the bad coordination?
President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and former US President Bill Clinton meeting recently. (Photo published on Saakashvili’s Facebook page.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministry and the president’s administration in Georgia are embroiled in a quarrel over who is to blame for the bad coordination of foreign visits. The ministry accuses the president’s administration of not coordinating visits abroad […]
Controversial head of party finance watchdog resigns
Natia Mogeladze has not commented on why she resigned as head of the body that monitors the financing of political parties. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Natia Mogeladze, head of the Financial Monitoring Service for political parties, resigned on Wednesday. According to the State Audit Office, a body subordinate to the Financial Monitoring Service, it was Mogeladze’s own decision to resign. […]
Uncertainty over Saakashvili’s annual address to parliament
TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament is ready to listen to the president’s annual address to the nation, but the president may not show up. Pavle Kublashvili from President Saakashvili’s United National Movement party says that the annual address has not been scheduled. […]
Ivanishvili will soon announce his candidate for president
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili will announce his political bloc’s candidate for president in one or two weeks. Mr Ivanishvili said this during an appearance on a talk show on Rustavi 2 Friday. The presidential election is scheduled for […]
Saakashvili criticizes Ivanishvili for admitting Georgia made mistakes
President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili has criticized Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili for remarks he made regarding two breakaway regions in a speech in Strasbourg Tuesday. Mr Ivanishvili, who was speaking at a session of the Parliamentary […]
Ivanishvili: Georgia needs support in dialogue with Russia
Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, says the new dialogue with Russia doesn’t mean his country no longer needs support from its partners. TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says the fact that there is a dialogue between Tbilisi and Moscow shouldn’t create the impression that the country doesn’t need support from its partners anymore. He said this in a speech at a session […]
Ivanishvili bloc leading ahead of Georgian presidential election
National Democratic Institute’s Country Director for Georgia, Luis Navarro, presenting the poll on Monday. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–If public attitudes stay the same until fall, the Georgian Dream coalition’s candidate will win the presidential election clearly, without the need for a second round. 58 percent of Georgians say they would like to see the Georgian Dream candidate […]
State health insurance becomes a reality for Georgians
Health Minister Davit Sergeenko presented the new health insurance program Thursday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new health insurance program became available to Georgians from Thursday. The program is open for citizens from the age of 6 to 60 who have not had health insurance before. Health insurance for every Georgian citizen was a part of the Georgian […]
Saakashvili invites Ivanishvili to meeting
President Mikheil Saakashvili talking to TV journalists. (Photo by the president’s administrations.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili says he wants to sit down with Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili to talk about how to solve a gridlocked power-sharing process. “I think we should talk with the government about many issues, like relations with Russia, […]
Ivanishvili agrees to give former officials amnesty
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says his Georgian Dream coalition will agree to a demand put forth by President Mikheil Saakashvili’s National Movement and offer former government officials amnesty. The head of government writes in an open letter […]
Saakashvili’s party rallies to support Tbilisi mayor
Vano Merabishvili, Secretary General of the National Movement. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava was charged with money laundering and embezzlement of the city’s money, but not detained. Politicians from the United National Movement party of President Mikheil Saakashvili on Friday hastily left parliament Kutaisi […]
Saakashvili plans to stay in politics
TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili, who will leave office in October, says that he doesn’t plan to leave politics, because this would mean running away from the battlefield and letting everything which he has built be ruined. Saakashvili has served […]
Saakashvili demands to hold address to parliament
TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili demands that parliament allows him to use his constitutional right to address the nation from parliament. Thursday, the Georgian leader sent an open letter to MPs calling on them to follow the constitution, which obliges […]
Saakashvili allies lose another seat in capital
Nikoloz Khachirashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement (UNM) has lost one more member of Tbilisi City Council, but still has a majority of seats. Nikoloz Khachirashvili on Tuesday said he is leaving the UNM faction, but will remain an independent and not join any other faction. […]
Ivanishvili government gets rid of tuition fees
TBILISI, DFWatch — The new government has decided to cancel tuition fees for many popular studies. Bachelor students in 14 fields of specialization at state universities will have their tuition fees cut to zero from 2013. The free subjects will be agronomy, education sciences, energy […]
Revised 2013 budget presented
TBILISI, DFWatch — The new government in Georgia has presented a 2013 budget of USD 5.3 billion. USD 4.4 billion of this is expenditure. The revised budget comes as a result of consultations after critical remarks by members of parliament, and the new […]
Failing revenues forces major shifts in budget
TBILISI, DFWatch — The revenues into Georgia’s state accounts have decreased by USD 50.5 million lari compared to the budget. For this reason, priorities will be shifted until next year. According to the 2012 budget, revenues should have been USD 5 billion […]
Why Ivanishvili cut 93% of Security Council’s funding
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Security Council, which is a body subordinate to the president, cannot prove what it has spent USD 13.8 million on. This is why new the government cut its financing by the same amount in next year’s draft budget. Georgia’s 2013 draft […]
2013 budget to focus on the social dimension
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s new government has now detailed what its priorities are by presenting a budget for next year of 7.34 billion lari, or USD 4.42 billion, which is USD 335 million more than this year’s budget. According to the 2013 budget bill, the […]
Mayor’s surprise visit at government may be investigated
TBILISI, DFWatch — The prosecutor’s office is considering to investigate the mayor of Tbilisi who feels offended that he wasn’t allowed to attend the government session on Friday, even though he didn’t have a right to attend. Georgia’s finance minister Friday […]
Independents formally recognized as faction
TBILISI, DFWatch — Six parliamentarians who left the former governing party of President Mikheil Saakashvili are officially recognized as a faction of independents. The National Movement Party’s vote weight in the assembly thus fell from 65 to 59. But the ruling […]
National Movement Party claims harrassment by Georgian Dream
TBILISI, DFWatch — The former ruling party accuses the new government of blackmailing and harassment, while the new government officials ask them to present evidence. The claims were described at a briefing in the National Movement party’s […]
National Movement party loses six MPs
TBILISI, DFWatch — Another National Movement MP has left the parliamentary minority to become independent members of parliament. A group of six independent MPs plan to set up a parliamentary faction. Six is the minimum number required to establish such a unit. […]
Adjaran Council meets for the first time after the election
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara on Sunday held its first session, with all 21 members attending. As a result of the parliamentary election on October 1, the Georgian Dream coalition received 57.6 percent of votes in Adjara, […]
Ivanishvili can not say when pensions will be increased
The future Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili on Wednesday visited parliament to meet with the minority and answer their critical questions about the future plans and goals of the government and the government’s plan. Most of the questions were about the time […]
Ivanishvili vows to leave in 2014
TBILISI, DFWatch — Bidzina Ivanishvivli, leader of the Georgian Dream coalition and future Prime Minister, says he will leave politics in a year and a half but continue to lead his coalition after that as a member of civil society. The coalition leader on Wednesday […]
New minister explained allegedly racist comments
TBILISI, DFWatch — Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are voicing their opposition to a candidate for refugee minister in the new government. Prime Minister candidate Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is leader of the election winner Georgian Dream, earlier […]
Saakashvili’s power to block constitutional change reduced
TBILISI, DFWatch — Five members of parliament (MPs) who were elected as representing the National Movement party declined to join their party in the parliamentary minority on Sunday. This means that there will be less obstacles for the Bidzina Ivanishvili-led […]
The new parliament sets up 15 committees
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s eighth parliamentary assembly has three factions from the majority and three from the minority. 15 parliamentary committees were established. The Georgian Dream coalition, which is the new parliament majority, on Sunday set up three […]
Refugee minister candidate criticized for ‘racist’ statements
TBILISI, DFWatch — Groups in Georgia ask the new government to reconsider its candidate for refugee minister, after criticism for making racist statements. A week ago Bidzina Ivanishvili presented his list of names for the future government. One of them was Davit […]
Ivanishvili completes his list of government ministers
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Dream on Tuesday named the rest of its candidates for new government ministers. Bidzina Ivanishivli, Georgian Dream coalition leader, said the Ministry of Economy will be given certain new functions because of upcoming reforms. New economy […]
Saakashvili’s party to split up into factions in parliament
TBILISI, DFWatch — The National Movement party, which is now in opposition in Georgia, plans to set up several parliamentary factions in the future parliament. Davit Bakradze, current Parliament Speaker said Monday that all his party’s representatives in parliament […]
EU ambassador optimistic about Georgia’s future
TBILISI, DFWatch — The EU ambassador to Georgia thinks the ongoing process of transfer of power is another test for Georgia, which will be successfully passed. Georgia’s National Platform, the largest union of local non-government organizations (NGOs) with support from […]
New government’s goal: multiparty democracy
TBILISI, DFWatch — The new governing coalition will have as goal to establish a real multiparty system in Georgia, Georgian Dream candidate for Parliament Speaker promises. Davit Usupashvili says it should not be surprising that in the new parliament their coalition might be […]
Close Saakashvili ally met Ivanishvili
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili promises Bidzina Ivanishvili to help in keeping the new government safe and to retain the direction of Georgia’s foreign policy. This was made clear by Giga Bokeria, Secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council, after […]
Georgia’s ruling party starting to disintegrate
TBILISI, DFWatch — Five members of the United National Movement party in Tbilisi City Council left their faction and set up a new faction, which will join the platform of the parliament election winner Georgian Dream. The faction had 38 members before it lost the five […]
Other officials named as handover gets nearer
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Georgian Dream coalition leader and likely prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili today named his candidates for government ministers and other top positions. Head of Georgia’s National Bank will be Nodar Javakhishvili, chair of Cartu Bank, a bank affiliated […]
Consultations about power transfer continue
TBILISI, DFWatch — Negotiators for the government and Georgian Dream Monday held another round of consultations regarding the ongoing process to transfer power. Participants said afterwards that Monday evening consultations will start between current ministers and Georgian […]
Ivanishivili promises to work with business
TBILISI, DFWatch — About 200 local and foreign businesspeople Friday gathered to meet with the winner of the parliamentary election in Georgia. Bidzina Ivanishvili met them in order to talk about important issues and problems in their field, including the necessity of […]
Negotiations between Saakashvili’s and Ivanishvili’s people
TBILISI, DFWatch — The winner of the aryparliament election, Georgian Dream, will from October 8 send representatives to each state body to start a ‘peaceful transfer of government’ until a new government is formed. This was one of the major decisions made at a meeting between […]
Clinton calls Ivanishvili and Saakashvili
TBILISI, DFWatch — US Secretary of State has had a phone conversation with President Mikheil Saakashvili and Bidzina Ivanishvili, who leads a coalition that won the parliamentary election. Both the president’s and the Georgian Dream’s press offices separately told […]
Saakashvili’s outgoing government selects negotiators
TBILISI, DFWatch — The government of President Mikheil Saakashvili has picked the Parliament Speaker, Tbilisi Mayor, Secretary of the Security Council and a member of parliament to represent it in negotiations with the Georgian Dream coalition. Soon after Election Day, […]
Satellite dishes will not be distributed after all
TBILISI, DFWatch – Negotiations a TV company and the government about installing satellite receivers have failed. The director of Maestro TV claims the government’s offer to negotiate about the distribution of the equipment was just a ruse, and that it never planned […]
Audit body brings up more cases related to ruling party
TBILISI, DFWatch – The audit body in Georgia, which for several months has been busy fining the largest opposition bloc, now wants to fine five persons for donating to the ruling party. In contrast to the opposition related cases, the identity of the people in […]
Ivanishvili may hold referendum about parliamentary republic
TBILISI, DFWatch – The leader of the largest opposition bloc in Georgia doesn’t exclude that if he wins the parliamentary election he will hold a referendum regarding government structure. Currently, the president holds almost all power. From 2013 these powers will […]
Former AC Milan player Kaladze denied to book Tbilisi stadium
TBILISI, DFWatch – Former AC Milan player who left football to go into politics was planning to hold a friendship match with Milan in Georgia as a symbol of him leaving, but Georgia refused to make a stadium available for the match. Kakhi Kaladze, who now is a partner […]
Georgian government responds to criticism
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia claims the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly is spreading incorrect information provided by lobbyists of a certain party. A delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on Thursday released a statement […]
Claims procedures against opposition parties delayed
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s National Enforcement Bureau postponed the enforcement of fines that have been issued to political parties which are members of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition. June 27, seven political subjects in the coalition were were fined […]
Government claims opposition is trying to discredit authorities
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia accuses the opposition bloc Georgian Dream of attempting to discredit government bodies. Two officials in the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly expressed concern about the seizing of bank accounts of parties […]
Saakashvili reaching out to Georgian youth
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili says the ruling party will have several 21 year-old candidates on their list for the upcoming parliament elections. Saakashvili today met students who have a summer job in the small Black Sea coastal town […]
Ivanishvili announces his candidacy for prime minister
TBILISI, DFWatch – Opposition businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is challenging Mikheil Saakashvili in Georgia’s October 1 parliamentary election, has announced himself as candidate for prime minister. The announcement comes one day after Saakashvili’s National […]
Saakashvili says his PM will continue after October 1
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia has placed the speaker of parliament on the top of its party list, which probably means he will keep his post if they win. It also said the current prime minister is their prime minister candidate after the election. […]
Georgia’s opposition bloc has exceeded its fundraising limit
TBILISI, DFWatch – The largest opposition coalition in Georgia will no longer be allowed to receive donations from persons who partly or fully receive financing from its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili or companies related to him. The State Audit Office informs that […]
Ivanishvhili and Kaladze lost their appeal
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Appeals Court in Tbilisi rejected an appeal by the leader of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition and a former AC Milan player. This means that the decision by Tbilisi City Court to fine them stands. Bidzina Ivanishvili was fined USD 12.3 […]
Ivanishvili hit by new USD 12 mill fine
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi City Court once more issued a fine to Saakashvili’s main competitor Bidzina Ivanishvi. The case was brought by the State Audit Office, which accused the businessman of illegally donating to his own party and fined him 20 243 827 lari, […]
Former AC Milan player Kakhi Kaladze fined USD 10 million
TBILISI, DFWatch – A well-known football player who left his career to join the opposition Georgian Dream coalition was on Friday fined 17 million lari for not doing as he was told by the State Audit Office. Kakhi Kaladze’s property was also seized, but he doesn’t […]
Seizure continues against staff of Ivanishvili linked bank
TBILISI, DFWatch – The bank accounts of the director and seven employees of Cartu Bank were seized today. The bank is known as being connected to the opposition Georgian Dream bloc. Nodar Javakhishvili today told journalists that the seizure has connection to a […]
Audit office wants to know opposition leader’s spending
TBILISI, DFWatch – The financial monitoring service of Georgia’s state audit office accuses Bidzina Ivanishvili and his partner, a former professional football player, of withdrawing money from their own accounts, and calls on both of them to return the money to […]
Takeover of Ivanishvili company runs its course
TBILISI, DFWatch – A lawyer for a company affiliated with the largest opposition bloc in Georgia has been sentenced to twenty days administrative detention for resisting police. His lawyers say Tbilisi City Court’s decision was illegal and are going to appeal. […]
Speaker of Parliament is abusing his position
TBILISI, DFWatch – Now that the date of Georgia’s parliamentary elections has been set to October 1, political parties are under certain restrictions set by law, that last until Election Day. One restriction is that it is prohibited to use administrative resources for campaigning. […]
Ivanishvili linked property sold at an auction
TBILISI, DFWatch – A company connected to the largest opposition bloc in Georgia has had its property sold at a public auction. Meanwhile, the National Enforcement Bureau is replacing the company’s management. Burji Ltd, which has links to billionaire Bidzina […]
USA: democratic transfer of power is needed
TBILISI, DFWatch - America will be expecting to see a democratic transition of power in Georgia in the presidential election in 2013, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said during a press briefing here in Tbilisi yesterday. Reactions have varied from the opposition seizing on the use of the phrase "transition of power" as [...]
Georgian media answers hopeful patron
Journalists Wednesday responded to the wealthiest Georgian Bidzina Ivanishvili's call for them to form an alliance to unseat Mikheil Saakashvili, while experts debated whether Georgia had the right to revoke his citizenship. Tuesday night, the tycoon-turned-politicians had the support of at least the viewers, if not the staff, of two small cable TV stations which have [...]
Georgia bars billionaire from entering politics
The authorities in Georgia have stripped the country's richest man of his citizenship, just as he was preparing to launch a new opposition movement aimed at unseating president Mikheil Saakashvili in elections the coming two years. Revoking Bidzina Ivanishvili's citizenship effectively means that he can't legally take part in political activities nor fund political parties, nor [...]
Grassroots movement welcomes financier’s entry into politics
After being rejected by the journalists of Maestro TV, financier Bidzina Ivanishvili's has found new allies in the anti-Saakashvili grassroots movement behind last May's demonstrations. The People's Assembly in a statement says Ivanishvili represents a fresh, new start to Georgian politics, and that his program fully matches the goals of the assembly. People's Assembly is a [...]
Georgia’s richest to launch opposition movement
The financier Bidzina Ivanishvili is satisfied so far with the impact he has had, after announcing he would challenge the ruling party in the next election by founding a new party and buying a TV station. According to his press secratary, Irakli Tripolsky, Ivanishvili’s first statement "caused deep resonance in the society". Next step will be [...]
Political Tbilisi skeptical to proposed new election system
Work to improve the Georgian election environment has ended as a draft has been sent off to the Council of Europe's Venice Commission for review and the government promises that parliament will not start its review until the results of the review are clear. It's hard to say what the Venice Commission's conclusions will be and [...]
Workers forced to renounce rights
Support is mounting for the three imprisoned metallurgy workers in Kutaisi. According to their labor union, they have been forced to sign a statement promising to never again go on strike. The appearant violation of their basic human rights had brought nearly thirty non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to Kutaisi Monday to show support for the three, who [...]
Government introduces surprise changes in new election law
After reaching a hard-fought agreement with several opposition parties, the ruling party has introduced significant changes in the draft for a new Georgian Election Code. According to lawmakers, the eleventh-hour changes were only made in order to ensure a democratic election environment in the country, however many opposition parties remain skeptical. Some of the changes in [...]