(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The ruling party Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia won a constitutional majority in the second round of the parliamentary elections, winning all but one majoritarian district, mostly by a significant majority. In Mtatsmimda district, GD had decided […]
There were reports many places of people trying to vote with their fingers already marked. (Netgazeti.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In parts of Georgia, voters went to the polls again on Sunday in the second round of the parliamentary election. There were runoff contests in 50 single-seat districts, accounting for a third of the seats in the assembly. Voting took place against a background […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili on Saturday announced his resignation and departure from the Republican Party, which he was leader of from 2005 to 2013. He stated his reason as disagreement with the founders and current leadership about the party’s […]
Nikoloz Khazidze (left) and UNM majoritarian candidate Vazha Chitashvili. (Samkhretis Karibche.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement has accused the governor of the southern Samtskhe-Javakheti region of physically assaulting one of its photographers on Thursday evening. Nikoloz Khizadze claims he was heading to the village Muskhi to document […]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 63-year-old man died on Thursday after being run over by a train three weeks ago in the south of Georgia. Zaur Gerliani, who worked as a fitter, had one of his legs run over by a train as he was out repairing tracks in the mining town Kazreti, near Bolnisi, […]
PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili visiting Tusheti in August. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two months after promising to build a new road to Tusheti, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili now suggests building an air strip in the inaccessible region in the northeast of the country. It’s an attractive tourist destination, but difficult to access. […]
Zviad Koridze (official photo) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The Georgian president pardoned 168 prisoners, 114 of them will leave jail today, while the rest had their sentences reduced, the commission’s head, Zviad Koridze, stated at a briefing on Thursday. […]
The ferro-alloy plant in Zestaponi and other Georgian Manganese facilities are linked to the Miami, Florida based Georgian American Alloys. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A lawyer working for Georgian Manganese was arrested for corruption on Tuesday. Mirian Bichikashvili is accused of commercial bribery, the Finance Ministry said. Georgian Manganese owns mines in the small town of Chiatura as well as the ferro-alloy plant […]
Kutaisi airport. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Railways is considering creating a new train line connecting the airports in Tbilisi and Kutaisi, with regular departures. Spokesperson Dachi Tsaguria told Kutaisi Post that Georgian Railways is currently researching whether the new […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Several key figures in Irakli Alasania’s Free Democrats party have expressed support for the ruling Georgian Dream before the second round of the parliamentary elections in most majoritarian districts. “In a few days, there will be a second round. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A key mountain road that connects north and south Caucasus is now closed for large vehicles because of snow and ice. Trailers, semi-trailers and vehicles with more than 30 seats are prohibited from driving on the S-3 between Gudauri and Kobi, the Road Department […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two men died in a car accident in a mountainous area in the southwest of Georgia on Monday. One woman survived and was taken to hospital. The accident happened in Keda, a municipality in the Adjara region. The local gamgebeli […]
Roman Shengelia, father of the deceased. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The body of a man who was shot dead at a military base in Tbilisi Sunday morning has been identified as 23-year-old Giga Shengelia. Two other persons who were with Shengelia are being searched for, although their identity has not yet been established. […]
Davit Rakviashvili (left) and Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Monday named Davit Rakviashvili, an old colleague at a media and public relations school in Tbilisi, as new secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council. The friendship between the two go back 30 years, […]
Elza Shengelia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An attempt by a group of people to enter a military base in Tbilisi Sunday morning left one young man dead after the sentry fired shots at the intruders. The mother of the deceased reacted strongly at the implication that her son would harm anybody. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement yesterday won the repeat election in a precinct in the south of Georgia, while Georgian Dream won in the western Zugdidi area. But the UNM candidate didn’t win by more than 50% at the 48th precinct in Marneuli, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s former first lady Sandra Roelofs is withdrawing from the runoff election for parliament in Zugdidi, after the repeat ballot in three of Zugdidi’s precincts reveals that her opponent from the Georgian Dream is leading by a significant margin. […]
(Defense Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–It is still unknown if a decision by the former Georgian defense minister to end compulsory military service will become a reality. A decision may be expected in November, because Defense Minister Levan Izoria promised to ‘clarify’ the issue by next month, […]
(2030.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One soldier died as a military truck overturned on a highway in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region on Friday. The other 36 soldiers who were in the same vehicle received only lighter injures. 27 of them were first brought to a hospital in Dedoplistskaro, […]
People are asked to vote again today at four precincts where results were cancelled because of physical attacks on October 8. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Repeat elections are held today at four precincts in south and west of Georgia where results were cancelled October 8 due to irregularities. The results of one precinct in Marneuli and three in Zugdidi were cancelled due to attacks on Election Day. The main […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia demanded the handover of a suspected murderer during a six hour meeting with breakaway authorities in Abkhazia this week. The meeting was held in Gali, in the southern end of the region, and dealt first and foremost […]
(Unrelated photo.) (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more construction worker died in Tbilisi on Thursday; the second fatality at a construction site in two days. The accident happened as pipes were being unloaded from a truck on Khizanishvili Street in the northern Mukhiani district of the capital, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The two countries, which were at war with each other eight years ago, both expressed interest in continuing a pragmatic course in order to normalize relations, according to a statement put out by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). […]
Zaza Tavadze. TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Constitutional Court elected Zaza Tavadze as new head on Thursday, by five out of eight votes. He will replace Giorgi Papuashvili. The ballot was secret, but it is likely that the following judges supported Tavadze: Merab Turava, Lali Papiashvili, Teimuraz Tughushi […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two people died in a car accident in the Georgian town Rustavi on Wednesday. Interpressnews reports that a Mercedes travelling at high speed crashed into lighting pole on Mshenebeli Street near Public School No 2. Two men died on the spot. […]
(Imedi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A worker fell from a building at a construction site in Tbilisi on Wednesday. He was brought to the Republican Hospital with multiple head injuries and placed in intensive care, but died later the same day. The Ministry of Internal Affairs […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The 31-year-old suspected of viciously attacking a transgender woman in Tbilisi on October 14 was Wednesday placed in pre-trial detention. The accused Giorgi Murjikneli’s lawyer asked for his client to be released on 1,000 lari bail, but the judge […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Amid growing concern over imminent constitutional majority in the hands of Georgian Dream, Prime Minister airs his initiative to set up a group, which will work on amending constitution. […]
Irakli Kobakhidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Individual members of some of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Georgian capital Tbilisi are now calling on opposition political parties to call on their voters to support opposition candidates in the second round of the parliamentary election, fearing that the ruling Georgian Dream might secure enough seats in the new parliament to [...]
Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Irakli Alasania, the former defense minister and leader of the Free Democrats who ‘temporarily left’ politics after his party failed to reach the minimum 5% in the election, may be hired by the president’s administration. According to domestic media, […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three new airlines are opening flights out of Tbilisi from November: Turkmenistan Airlines, the Ukrainian DART Airlines and Russia’s Pobeda. Turkmenistan Airlines will fly twice weekly (Mon, Thu) to Ashgabad, starting November 2. DART Airlines begins flights […]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The date for the second round of Georgia’s parliamentary election has been set to October 30. 50 election districts will vote for single seat candidates for parliament, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced. Candidates for the ruling GD […]
The police confiscated explosives and weapons in the apartment of one of the suspects. (police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A man was arrested Monday in Georgia, accused of involvement in the blowing up of MP Givi Targamadze’s car just days before the parliamentary election. The man, born in 1976, was arrested as part of the investigation into the explosion […]
“(Russia) spent a lot of money and all they managed was to have a small minority in Parliament. That proves that Georgians are still very much pro-West,” Laura Linderman says. Anna Kalandadze of Voice of America’s Georgian service discusses results of Georgia’s Parliamentary elections, and its importance for country’s future dynamics with Laura Linderman, of US Atlantic Council in Washington. Parts of this interview ran on VOA program. […]
(police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian robber who escaped from a court building in August by feigning illness was caught on Sunday with jewelry from a recent heist. Otar Varamashvili escaped from Rustavi City Court on August 31 by claiming he was ill and running away during […]
Reacting to the recent attack, dozens of people protested outside the MIA building Sunday evening, to say no to violence against transgender people. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia arrested a man on Sunday who is suspected of having attacked a transgender woman two days before. The suspect is accused of attempted murder. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the 31-year-old was on probation […]
(1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 32-year-old transgender woman was Friday evening severely beaten in Ortachala, a district in the south of Tbilisi. According to Imedi TV, there were two assailants. Her throat was slit. She remains in the emergency ward in a serious condition, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Six people who were arrested for participating in the attack on an election precinct October 8 were placed in pre-trial detention by Rustavi City Court on Friday. A crowd threw stones at and smashed windows at the 48th election precinct ithe a village Kizilajo. […]
(Samkhretis Karibche.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Muslims in the village Mokhe in the south of Georgia on Thursday conducted a prayer on the ruins of a mosque which the local government in 2014 declared that it wanted to turn into a culture house. The plans by local Orthodox Christians to appropriate […]
(Imedi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia arrested six people on Thursday who are accused of attacking an election precinct in Marneuli in the south of Georgia on election day October 8. The six are arrested for interrupting the work of the local election commission […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s winter resort Gudauri had 127% growth in visitors since last year. Now developers plan a Radisson and a Sheraton hotel there. Malkhaz Kunelauri from the real estate company RED-CO told journalists that the first phase of the planned new hotels […]
(Luka Pertaia/Netgazeti.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police arrested one person regarding an attack on an election precinct during the election Saturday in Zugdidi, in northwest Georgia. The target of the attack was the 79th precinct, in the village Jikhashkari. Kako Tibua said through his lawyer that he was unlawfully arrested and has started a hunger […]
Davit Bakradze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After considering a boycott of parliament, the National Movement on Tuesday turned back from the drastic measure and decided to participate in the second round of the election and take their seats in parliament. Some party members wanted […]
Davit Bakradze at a UNM rally in Tbilisi Oct. 5, 2016. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement plans to convene the party’s political council Tuesday evening to discuss further plans after dismissing the results of the parliamentary election. Some proposed to boycott the second round of the majoritorian elections […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Workers in one of the mines in Tkibuli in western Georgia found a co-worker dead on Friday, apparently from gas poisoning. The accident happened in the Mindeli mine. Workers found the body in the morning as they arrived at work. It looks like 51-year-old Temur Kakauridze […]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A discussion is going on within the National Movement about boycotting parliament, with the one side wanting to start with not participating in the second round of the parliamentary election. Former President Mikheil Saakashvili got involved from […]
Irakli Kobakhidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Already before the official election results have been announced, the ruling Georgian Dream party is talking about making two constitutional amendments. Another round of single-seat districts has still not been held, and no-one knows how many members […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian defense minister Irakli Alasania said Monday that he is quitting politics ‘temporarily’ after his party failed to surpass the 5% threshold in the parliamentary elections. Alasania’s statement came after the Central Election Commission (CEC) […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–There is confusion over how to interpret the results of Saturday’s election in Georgia. A CEC spokesperson said Monday that the third party Alliance of Patriots is still below the threshold, but even so, the commission will discuss if it may still be qualified with 4.998%. […]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–51 election districts in Georgia will likely hold a second round of parliamentary election; 18 of them will be in the capital Tbilisi. After 99.92% of votes have been counted, the governing Georgian Dream party has 48.6% in the proportionate system. […]
Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi of the Patriot Alliance. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Alliance of Patriots is out of parliament, after it seemed for a few hours it had succeeded in surpassing the minimum threshold. At 3pm, the Alliance was at exactly 5 percent, and seemed qualified to get representatives into the new national assembly as the third party, […]
Giga Bokeria addressing the crowd of UNM supporters outside the CEC building last night. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former first lady Sandra Roelofs, who is running for parliament representing her husband’s party in western Georgia, has disputed the preliminary results which show that she did not win an outright victory. After 82 percent of votes had been […]
Irma Inashvili, one of the leaders of Patriot Alliance. TBILISI, DFWatch–Three parties are predicted to surpass the 5% percent threshold and make it into parliament, after 82.55% percent of votes have been counted, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said. As the results currently stand, Georgian Dream looks to get 49.26 percent, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Dream is predicted as winner of the parliamentary election, based on the preliminary results of two exit polls. In the exit poll by GfK, Georgian Dream will get 39.9 percent, and United National Movement is second with 32.74 percent. […]
Special police entered the voting precinct in Marneuli where the conflict took place. TBILISI, DFWatch–A crowd armed with batons and stones attacked a precinct in Marneuli, a town in south Georgia, allegedly stealing a box of ballot papers. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said police were dispatched to Marneuli’s 48th precinct […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says he doesn’t plan to leave Ukraine, where he serves as governor of the Odessa region, no matter what the results of today’s parliament election is. “I won’t abandon my huge plans to help Ukraine,” […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–All election precincts in Georgia opened at 08:00 in the morning, according to Central Election Commission (CEC), and the election is proceeding peacefully. Voter turnout was 19.81 % by 12:00, according to the CEC. Most government officials […]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians go to the polls on Saturday to elect 150 new members of parliament, with no party or bloc likely to win an outright victory. 73 of the new MPs will be majoritarians, while the rest will come from the party lists through a proportional […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A suspect has been identified in the case of a car bomb on Tuesday targeting the car of a member of parliament for the National Movement. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said Friday evening that law enforcement bodies searched […]
Papuna Kukava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two National Movement activists have been charged with violence and threats against members of the governing Georgian Dream party at a campaign event in western Georgia a few days ago. The incident happened on October 1 […]
Kutaisi central hospital. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A policeman’s wife is in hospital in Kutaisi, fighting for her life after being shot in the head with her husband’s gun Thursday evening. Authorities are investigating the case as a suicide attempt. Early media reports indicated that the policeman […]
Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi (facebook) TBILISI, DFWatch–Central Elections Administration (CEC) rejected a plea by major conservative party against the main opposition-leaned TV channel, which cancelled broadcasting its electoral advertisement. CEC ruled that Alliance of Patriots’ video […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Three days before Georgians go to the polls, the National Movement on Wednesday rallied their supporters in Tbilisi. Former President Mikheil Saakashvili addressed people from Odessa, Ukraine on a big screen via Skype. He criticized […]
(Ipn) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian troops serving within NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan cast their ballots on Wednesday, three days prior of the parliamentary elections, which is scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 8. […]
PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili warned that immunity or foreign citizenship won’t protect those responsible for last night’s car bombing in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian politicians Wednesday reacted to the explosion which blew up of the car of a parliamentarian the night before. Different culprits were singled out but they seemed to agree that the purpose was to affect the outcome of the parliamentary […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia have arrested a person accused of shooting and injuring two persons at a political rally in Gori on October 2. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), investigators have determined that the suspect fired shots during the meeting, […]
(Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch--An apparent car bomb exploded in central Tbilisi Tuesday night, targeting the car of a member of parliament for the National Movement. The car’s owner MP Givi Targamadze was sitting in the front passenger seat as it exploded. He was not seriously injured. Georgia’s deputy interior minister, who was at the [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvil has mocked his main opponent former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, saying he was destined for defeat in the October 8 election. Saakashvili, who is governor of Odessa in Ukraine, […]
Irakli Okruashvili claimed he was the target of the shooting. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former Georgian defense minister claims he was the target when shots were fired during an election rally in Gori, a town 60km northwest of Tbilisi, on Sunday. Irakli Okruashvili was meeting voters in the town where he is a candidate […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgia had a 19.5 percent growth in tourism in the nine months in 2016, according to the data released by National Tourism Administration on Monday. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Constitutional Court on Thursday struck down a law that has landed many young people in jail for years for using marijuana. The court abolished part of article 273 of the Criminal code, which mandated jail sentence for anyone caught […]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Pope Francis on Saturday conducted a mass on Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in the center of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. In his sermon, the head of the Roman Catholic Church spoke about the importance of women in Georgia, quoting Mother Teresa, […]
A new company will get the license to organize the Georgia national lottery. The Ministry of Finance has announced a tender to award the license and will accept offers until December 12. […]
