Monthly Archives: January 2021

Citizens Party calls off parliament boycott after GD promises reforms, rest of opposition still rejects 2020 election results

By | January 29th, 2021|Categories: Politics|Tags: , , |

Aleko Elisashvili answering journalists at the parliament (video grab from 1tv.ge) One of the opposition parties in Georgia announced Friday that they are calling off their boycott of parliament, breaking ranks with the rest of the opposition, which have held that the October 31 election was fraught with violations and should be annulled. Chairman of the [...]

Georgia’s Public Defender says representatives are threatened by Soviet-style inmate leaders

By | January 20th, 2021|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

Nino Lomjaria. (ombudsman.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Penitentiary authorities in Georgia have unleashed “prisoners managed by the administration” to systematically carry out “verbal attacks, threats and aggression” against representatives of the Public Defender's Office, Ombudswoman Nino Lomjaria said on Wednesday. The PDO earlier released a report claiming the management model of semi-open prisons was based on an informal hierarchy [...]

Georgian opposition party Citizens to break off parliament boycott if government promises election reform

By | January 20th, 2021|Categories: Politics|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian opposition’s boycott of parliament after the October 31 election is in doubt, after one of the parties indicated they will break off the boycott. Aleko Elisashvili, leader of the  Citizens party, said Wednesday that he will announce the party’s decision to take up their two seats in parliament in a few days. "If [...]

Georgia to lift some Covid-19 restrictions after drop in number of infections

By | January 18th, 2021|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Amiran Gamkrelidze. (1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia plans to gradually lift Covid-19 related restrictions as the most recent statistics show a reduction both in new cases and the number of deaths, the country's chief epidemiologist Amiran Gamkrelidze said on Monday.  This process will be accompanied by an increase in the total number of tests and the start of [...]

42-year-old Irakli Kobakhidze takes over reins of Georgia’s ruling party as billionaire founder steps down

By | January 16th, 2021|Categories: Politics|Tags: , , |

Former party secretary Irakli Kobakhidze was "unanimously" elected as new leader of Georgian Dream. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party on Saturday elected former party secretary Irakli Kobakhidze as new chairman, after its billionaire founder stepped down.  The choice of a new leader and new composition of the political council at the party convention are important developments for [...]

Novosibirsk Opera terminates contract with wife of former leader of Georgian opposition party UNM

By | January 14th, 2021|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , |

Nino Ananiashvili. TBILISI, DFWatch--A Russian theater in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, which was supposed to be headed by the wife of a prominent Georgian opposition politician, has terminated its contract with her. Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater said the decision was provoked by the fact that former Bolshoi prima ballerina Nino Ananiashvili made a premature [...]

Wildfires now threatening Gagra, the former Soviet holiday resort north in Abkhazia

By | January 8th, 2021|Categories: News|

Wildfires in the hills above Gagra. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A number of wildfires have been put out in the Gali district of Abkhazia but the fires have now moved further north, threatening Gagra, an iconic holiday resort on the Black Sea coast. Despite lacking the means to fight the fires, the breakaway authorities in Sokhumi have rejected [...]

Wildfires threatening populated areas in Gali, Abkhazia

By | January 5th, 2021|Categories: News|

https://www.facebook.com/nona.khasaia.5/videos/1123278944771617/ Fire in the village Zemo Barghebi published by a local resident at about 2 pm. GALI, DFWatch--Wildfires tore through several villages here in the Gali district of Abkhazia on Tuesday. The fires broke out late last night and soon spread to populated areas due to strong winds.  Despite reports by the breakaway authorities that they [...]

Georgia shuts down again due to Covid-19, brings back nightly curfew

By | January 3rd, 2021|Categories: News|

TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia on Sunday re-introduced strict Covid-19 restrictions that will last until January 15. The rationale behind the measures adopted by the government in November was to reduce people’s mobility amid a worrying rise in the number of cases, which were well above 4,000 new cases a day during that month and continued growing. After a [...]