Friday, December 5, 2025

NDI poll shows patriarch remains most liked in Georgia

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Patriarch Ilia II (seated, left) remains highly liked in Georgia, while former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has had a drop in popularity. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A new poll published by National Democratic Institute (NDI) shows that Patriarch Ilia II remains the most liked person in Georgia.

96 percent of those asked say the like the patriarch. 61 percent say they like Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament;

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Energy minister attacks ombudsman over hydro power dam

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Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Energy Minister Friday lashed out against the public defender and accused him of lying about not wanting to meet the population in a mountain valley poised to be flooded by a giantic hydro power dam.

The Khudoni hydro power project will

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The revolving doors of Georgia's politics and business

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Kakhi Kaladze (pictured) was involved in at least three companies in the energy sector before he became energy minister, according to TI’s report. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Business and politics are tightly connected in Georgia, according to a new report by Transparency International.

The organization claims that some wealthy businessmen have been elected to the Georgian parliament and some members of the executive

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Preparations continue for Georgia-Turkey 154 kV transmission line

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Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A new 154 kilovolt transmission line will be built between Georgia and Turkey.

Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze and Nikolay Nikolov, Vice Director of Energo-Pro Georgia signed the memorandum of understanding Monday.

A memorandum was first signed in 2009,

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Former AC Milan player Kaladze denied to book Tbilisi stadium

Kakhi Kaladze, a former professional player for AC Milan, is trying to organize a friendship match in Tbilisi, but can't get permission to use a stadium. (IPN.)

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

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Former AC Milan player Kakhi Kaladze fined USD 10 million

Kakhi Kaladze fined 10 million USD by Saakashvili's "nanny state". Lawyers say there is no law in Georgia which makes it illegal to withdraw money from a bank account without explaining to authorities what it is going to be spent on. (IPN.)

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

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Former AC Milan player Kakhi Kaladze denied appeal hearing

Kakhi Kaladze says what is happening to him is political persecution. Georgia's chief prosecutor has frozen his bank accounts in connection with an investigation about money laundering. (IPN.)

TBILISI, DFWatch – The former footballer, now opposition campaigner Kakhi Kaladze has been deprived of the right to appeal the seizure of his bank accounts.

This news was relayed by Shalva Tadumadze, a lawyer for the former AC Milan player.

Tbilisi City Court

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