TBILISI, DFWatch–At the end of a difficult year with families struggling to get through a pandemic, Georgia’s largest electricity provider announced a price hike that risks causing major discontent. On Monday, the CEO of Energo-Pro Georgia, which in 2016 controlled 62% of the country’s energy distribution, said an increase in electricity tariffs was inevitable. “The … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Facing growing criticism from the West, Georgian Dream seems to soften its strict stance towards the opposition. Although parliament on Wednesday adopted a bill at the first reading that strips all opposition parties of their state funding, GD said it would send the controversial bill for review either to the Venice Commission, a Council … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–Classes have been suspended in public schools in Abkhazia as in the rest of Georgia because of the pandemic, and also here in Gali, local teachers try their best to assist students with distance learning. Despite many difficulties, including the interruption of electricity supply, local teachers are still more or less able to continue … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–After talks between Georgian Dream and the opposition failed to defuse the political crisis, the ruling party in Georgia has started to weigh in with threats of revoking registration for the largest opposition party and stripping others of state funding. On Thursday, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Georgian Dream executive secretary, said that a bill against … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–Under conditions that amount to a blockade, the population of Gali are finding ways of sorting out their daily life problems, such as how to receive pensions when they can’t get to a Georgian bank. In spring, Abkhazia’s separatist authorities closed the only road connecting the Gali district with the rest of Georgia, due … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s newly elected parliament opened its first session on Friday with only one party in attendance. All opposition parties are boycotting the parliament despite many rounds of negotiations and efforts by Western diplomats to break the deadlock. Nine parties surpassed the threshold in the October 31 elections with a total proportional list, but the … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–Georgians living in Gali welcome the opening by separatist authorities of Enguri Bridge for travel in one direction, but demand they also allow passage in the other direction across the bridge that connects Abkhazia with Georgia proper. Although Sukhumi does not allow the passage from Gali to Zugdidi, locals think that if the Georgian … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A resident of Gali who is accused by the breakaway authorities of Abkhazia of vandalism and dishonoring the flag, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison. The Georgian side protests the decision and demands his immediate release. The Georgian government says that the co-chairs of the Geneva talks were immediately informed about this … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The third round of negotiations between the Georgian government and opposition ended with minor progress on Monday. The talks were mediated by Western diplomats and aimed at ending the boycott of the newly elected parliament. Nine parties overcame the 1% threshold in the October 31 parliamentary elections, but the ruling Georgian Dream won by … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Council of Europe (CoE) has urged Russia to not delay further the payment of EUR 10 million damages to Georgia for human rights violations when thousands of Georgian citizens were expelled from Russia following a spy row between the two neighboring countries. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in 2014 that … Read more