Georgia to Annul Martial Law
September 2, 2008
Parliament will be convened on September 3 to annul martial law, Davit Bakradze, the parliamentary chairman, said on Tuesday.
Martial law, which was imposed throughout Georgia on August 9, will be replaced with a state of emergency, but only in areas currently occupied by Russian troops – in the western Georgian region of Samegrelo and in parts of Shida Kartli region.
Initially, martial law was imposed for two weeks, but it was subsequently prolonged for another two weeks until September 8. Bakradze, however, said that the decision was made to annul martial law earlier than initially planned, because it was creating certain problems for economic activities.
Pavle Kublashvili, a lawmaker from the ruling party, said there is a slight difference between these two regimes. “If the martial law is imposed it covers entire territory of the country, while the state of emergency can be imposed in only certain parts of the country,” he said.
Source: Civil.Ge, September 2008
www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19374
Abkhazia, S.Ossetia Formally Declared Occupied Territory
August 29, 2008
Parliament has passed a non-binding resolution instructing the government:
• to cut diplomatic ties with Russia;
• to annul treaties on Russian peacekeeping.
The Georgian parliament unanimously passed a resolution on August 28 formally declaring Abkhazia and South Ossetia Russian-occupied territories, and calling Russian troops, occupying forces.
MP Lasha Zhvania, the chairman of the parliamentary committee for foreign affairs, who is a co-author of the resolution, explained that only South Ossetia and Abkhazia had been defined as “occupied territories” – and not other areas deep inside Georgia still under Russian miltary control – because the two separatist regions have been formally recognized as independent by Russia.
The resolution instructs the Georgian government to annul all treaties based on which Russian peacekeeping forces have been deployed in the South Ossetian and Abkhaz conflict zones over the past decade. There are two basic agreements: one in respect of Abkhazia – the 1994 Moscow agreement on ceasefire and separation of forces - and another relating to South Ossetia – the 1992 Dagomis Agreement (also known as the Sochi Agreement).
Chairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze meets his Beatitude, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodor II
July 31, 2008
Chairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze met with the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodor II. The High official guest is making visit to Georgia to take part in the arrangements for the anniversary of His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholics - Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.
During the meeting, they spoke about the role of Georgian Orthodox Church in the current processes and the relations between Georgian and Alexandria’s Churches. The guest underlined that Georgian Catholics - Patriarch, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II is a wise man, who writes not only the history of Georgian Church, but also the history of all Georgian State.
“This is an historical visit. Our relationship has old and experienced tradition, so this visit is very important not only for them, but for us as well”, - said Georgian Catholics - Patriarch, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II.
At the end of the meeting, the guest and the hosts exchanged the presents. Theodor II made an entry in the book for honorable guests. After the meeting Chairman of the Georgian parliament David Bakradze called the day as a peculiar and delighted - “We are always delighted with the visit of Georgian Catholics - Patriarch, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, especially today when such a high official and honorable guest visited us. Today this building is full of charity, that is so rare in these walls. I am very happy to get the chance to meet and have a talk with such a high official guest ”.
Source: The Parliament of Georgia, July 2008
www.parliament.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=1128&info_id=19678
Daily Parliament Update - 29 July 2008
July 29, 2008
Meeting of the Chairman of Parliament with National Defence Academy Officers
Chairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze met the Chief of Georgian David Agmashenebeli National Defence Academy, Colonel Tariel Londaridze and Academy Officers in the Parliament. At the meeting was discussed the issues on the country’s security. They paid attentions to the risks and problems always accompany the regulations of conflicts.
The Sides also discussed NATO membership perspectives. One of the political orders towards the Defence Ministry is our military forces to reach the level of NATO standards and the partner countries of NATO must realize that the progress, on the way of our membership to NATO, would help the conflicts peaceful regulations. David Bakradze wished Georgian Officers success in their service and profession.
At the end of the meeting, Colonel Tariel Londaridze in the name of all Officers thanked the speaker for support and care from the side of government and expressed his readiness to fulfill the tasks set before them.
Bureau Sitting of Parliament
Chairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze opened today’s bureau sitting with welcoming words to Georgian singers, having reached great success and won the main prize in the Iurmala Festival.
“I congratulate Georgian Singers to win the first prize in the Iurmala prestigious festival. This is the greatest victory of Georgian song and Georgian culture. I welcome the winners and Lela Tsurtsumia as well, who discovered this duet and helped them”, - said David Bakradze. After they return back, State Structures would accordingly appraise their merit and great service to Georgian Culture”, - noted the Speaker.
After welcoming words, members of the bureau fully approved the decisions of the treasury council, necessary for normal function of the parliament. They also accepted information of the parliamentarian Korneli Kukulava about his taking part in the congress held in Baku on July 11-13 by the initiative of tea producers’ associations of Azerbaijan, Russia and Caucasus Business and Development network.
Members of the bureau accepted information of the Finance and Budget Committee about the elect of Nikiloz Laliashvili as a deputy chair of the committee.
Source: The Parliament of Georgia, July 2008
www.parliament.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=1
Defense Spending, Number of Troops Increased
July 16, 2008
Parliament approved on July 15 a proposal to increase the personnel cap on the Georgian armed forces from the current 32,000 to 37,000 and also supported to increase defense spending by additional GEL 295 million.
According to the Ministry of Defense, there are currently 28,991 servicemen in the armed forces, including 366 civilians.
Givi Targamadze, a lawmaker from the ruling party, who chairs the parliamentary committee for defense and security, said on July 15, the move was motivated by three reasons.
“The first and major reason – and no one should have any illusion about it - is extremely increased threats,” MP Targamadze said. “Threat assessment has showed that threats have increased and reached its critical level after Russia’s aggressive actions. This decision to increase number of troops is an adequate reaction to the existing threats.”
“Today Georgia faces the highest level of threat since independence,” he added.
The second reason, MP Givi Targamadze said, was Georgia’s commitments to continue contributing to Iraqi mission.
MP Nika Rurua, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for defense and security, said earlier that Georgia’s participation in the international operations “should not take place at the expense of [defending against] internal Georgian threats.”
Georgia has 2,000 soldiers deployed in Iraq.
MP Givi Targamadze said that the third reason was Georgia’s aspiration to bring its military infrastructure and troops closer to NATO standards.
He also said that Georgia has “the smallest, but the best trained armed forces in the region.”
Georgian Deputy Defense Minister, Batu Kutelia, said on July 14 that additional 5,000 servicemen would join various military units, but the priority would be to reinforce air forces and navy with highly-qualified personnel.
Pavle Kublashvili, a senior lawmaker from the ruling party, said that the increase in number of troops no way meant that Tbilisi was gearing up for use of force to regain control over the breakaway regions.
“Everyone should know that our priority is our peace initiatives, but at the same time we are ready for any type of scenario and ready to respond to any type of provocation staged by the aggressors,” MP Kublashvili said.
Also on July 15 the Parliament approved amendment to the 2008 state budget, which among other things, also envisages increase of defense spending up by GEL 295 million, bringing total funding of the Ministry of Defense to GEL 1.395 billion this year.
Lawmakers from the ruling party justified increase in defense spending again by external threats, in particular Russia’s moves in respect of breakaway regions.
MP Nika Rurua, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for defense and security, said earlier this month that enhancing Georgia’s air defense and naval capabilities was one of the major priorities of the increased funding. He pointed out that purchase of air-defense systems and aircraft were planned.
Source: Civil.Ge Online Magazine, July 2008
www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18784
Public Defender Under Fire from Ruling Party
July 16, 2008
The ruling party lawmakers attacked Public Defender, Sozar Subari, by criticizing him of “political bias” and “incompetence,” which, as they said, led “to discrediting” the ombudsman’s institution.
The criticism came after the Public Defender delivered his 2007 report on human rights record in the country at the parliamentary session on July 15.
Sozar Subari started his address with, what he called, deteriorating freedom of media. In this regard he recalled developments surrounding Imedi TV, in particular police raid on the television station on November 7, 2007, which resulted into smashing of the TV station’s equipment and physical abuse of journalists working there.
“No one has been held responsible for these inhuman acts against journalists and Imedi TV,” Subari said.
He then pointed out on the most recent developments surrounding Tbilisi-based Kavkasia TV and Lagodekhi-based Hereti radio station, which airs in the Kakheti region. He said that both stations were experiencing problems, as businesses with ads on those stations were pressured to pull out their ads.
He also condemned the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) decision not to allow the Tbilisi-based Maestro TV to start political programming. Subari said that the court hearings into the case were being dragged out deliberately by GNCC.
Then Subari pointed out at violation of right of freedom of assembly.
“November events showed that the authorities are intolerant towards demonstrations,” he said.
Not only excessive force was used to disperse demonstrations on November 7, Subari said, but there was an allegation that firearm was also used. He said that there was “alternative (not an official) medical examination” showing that three protesters had wounds inflicted by firearm.
Along with the excessive use, Subari noted, law enforcement agencies used rubber bullets, which was illegal. The public defender cited the Law on Police, which lists special equipment available to riot police. The list includes tear gas, water cannons and rubber batons, but not rubber bullets.
“Hence the issue of responsibility of not only individual riot policemen should be raised, but those high-ranking Interior Ministry officials, who authorized the purchase and then use of rubber bullets, should also be held responsible, including Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili,” Subari told lawmakers.
Subari also said that violation of property rights by the authorities started to increase in 2004 and the trend became “especially worrisome” in 2007.
“Violation of property rights included destruction of legally built buildings, cases of intimidation of owners, who were threatened to arrest their relatives by planting drugs if they refused to voluntarily hand over their properties to the state,” Subari said. “150 families in Shuakhevi [Adjara Autonomous Republic] were deprived of their property, but the state restored their rights on property on the eve of the [January 5] presidential elections.”
Unlike Subari’s previous addresses to the Parliament in past years, the recent one has seen many questions being asked by lawmakers from the ruling party.
One of the questions was about the human rights situation in the Gali district with MP Khatuna Gogorishvili of the ruling party complaining why the matter was “ignored” in the Public Defender’s report. Subari responded that 25 pages were dedicated to the matter in his report.
Another question asked by MP Gogorishvili was to specify the part of the report referring to, as she put it, dispute between the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church over several churches in Georgia. She also asked to specify what he meant under “xenophobic cases” in the Georgian media. After those remarks a lawmaker from the opposition Georgian Troupe Party, Jondi Bagaturia, told the Public Defender that although he was “positively disposed” towards him, Subari’s allegation over “xenophobic cases” in the media and his stance over disputed churches, “erased everything positive.”
MP Gogorishvili also recalled Public Defender’s stance about the concordat signed between the Orthodox Church and the Georgian State in 2002. Subari is criticizing the concordat, because the document gives important privileges to the Orthodox Church compared with other religious groups in Georgia. Criticism of the concordat in the country where the Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys with the highest confidence approval rate among the population, is highly unpopular.
Although in overall the parliamentary minority has welcomed the Public Defender’s report, some critical remarks were anyway voiced. A lawmaker from the Christian-Democratic Party, Levan Vepkhvadze, told Subari that his inability to protect his own rights (Subari was attacked a beaten during on November 7 when the riot police broke up the demonstration), was discrediting the Public Defender’s Office, as it was triggering a perception that the ombudsman would also fail to protect others’ rights.
“As it was expected we have heard biased, one-sided, politically-motivated and incompetent report,” MP Petre Tsiskarishvili of the parliamentary majority leader said. “Such one-side reports have discredited the Public Defender’s Office.”
“Your report amounts to discrediting of the Public Defender’s Office institution,” MP Eldar Kvernadze of the ruling party told the Public Defender. “All the institutions have strengthened in Georgia except of the Public Defender’s Office. We have heard a politically-motivated report.”
MP Giorgi Gabashvili of the ruling party said that the Public Defender spoke about the November 7 events without taking into account other side of the story.
He said that the anti-governmental demonstrations were organized not for the purpose to express protest peacefully, but with a purpose to overthrow the government.
“There was no difference between the statements of the opposition and the report we have heard. It was a typical address by an opposition politician. We have heard only rumors,” MP Gabashvili said. “We have heard extremely one-sided assessment of the November 7 events.”
“Report which is based only on negative issues without in-depth objective analysis amounts to a statement of an opposition politician and discredits the entire Public Defender’s Office,” MP Gabashvili added.
Sozar Subari responded the criticism by saying that he presented pure facts and he could not understand what the ruling party lawmakers meant by “need for objective assessment.”
After the hearing the Parliament passed a resolution saying it “has taken note of the Public Defender’s report” – a similar wording was used by the previous Parliament to react on the Public Defender’s report last year.
“It is of course up to the Parliament whether to only take note of the report, or to recommend the appropriate state agencies to react on the violations presented in the report; but if the Parliament fails to do that [call on the state agencies to react], it would mean that those very concrete cases of human rights violations will never be investigated and the negative trend will continue,” Subari told lawmakers.
Source: Civil.Ge Online Magazine
www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18793
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July 10, 2008
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Today’s Parliament Update - July 10th, 2008
July 10, 2008
Agrarian Issues Committee Sitting
The Deputy Minister of the Agriculture Alexandre Tsintsadze proposed the bill for the third about the amendment in the law “Vine and Wine” of Georgia at the sitting of the Agrarian Issues Committee. According to the reporter by this amendment in the bill making of Wine Brand becomes easier for the producers of the Alcoholic Drinks. the members of the committee did not editorial comments. They agreed suggested amendments and supported its affirmation. At the end of the sitting Giorgi Gviniashvili said that they plan to hold the next committee sitting in Gurjaani Region for studying the local farmers and peasants problems well.
Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee Sitting
The Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee elected a member of the Faction “Strong Georgia –Christian –Democrats”Dimitri Lortkipanidze as a deputy chair of the committee.
According to the Chair of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee Giorgi Arsenishvili today the committee will hear the report of the Ombudsman on the first half of 2007 together with the Legal Issues Committee at the joint sitting.
Giorgi Arsenishvili positively apprised the issues connected with the constitutional amendments, about the unification of the Ministry of Justice and General Procurator. According to his statement due to these constitutional amendments, he had the consultations with the Minister of Justice .
Human Rights and Integration Committee Chairman Meets the Officer of OSCE Mission on Issues of Human Rights in Georgia Tina Gevy
The Chair of the Human Rights and Integration Committee continues meetings with the experts and international organizations working in the sphere of human rights. Today he met the officer of OSCE mission on issues of human rights in Georgia Tina Gevy. The meeting had a character of acquaintance.Gia Arsenishvili thanked to the guest for the multilateral help done by OSCE to Georgia and underlined that the last visit of OSCE ambassador in Georgia is confirmation of this fact. Last year the mission of OSCE paid special attention to existed situation in justice and penitential system and fulfilled different projects in this direction. The guest paid attention to the improvement of the knowledge level of the prisoners and about funding the educational courses. From his side the chairman of the Human Rights and Integration committee spoke about future plans of the committee and expressed his readiness for future cooperation.
Budget and Finance Committee Sitting
Today’s committee sitting elected a member of the faction-”Strong Georgia-Christian –Democrats “-Nikoloz Laliashvili as a deputy chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee. The Committee discussed Finance package, proposed by the government, by the second hearing. All remarks expressed during the first hearing of the proposed draft of the budget amendments in this package are considered. The bill about amendments to the Law”State Budget System of Georgia” added the paragraph, according to that total number of the assigns of the state budget must out number 25% forecast index of the total inner product of the corresponding year. According to the transitional regulations, an exception established due to the assign affirmed in 2009 must not out number 29% of a total inner product’s forecast index. As for 2010-it must not out number 27.5 %. During the discussion of the bill for amendments in the law “about the future generation and stable development fund», the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee Zurab Melikishvili said that all comments made during the first hearing is considered in the bill, though in the nearest future the bill must be accordance to the Law ‘about the National Bank”. The Committee supported to discuss the finance package at the session by the second hearing. The deputies supported the ratification of the agreement of loan between Georgia and European Reconstruction and development Bank, proposed by the president of Georgia ,according to it 1500 000 EURO will be used for the construction of the water cleaning building in Kobuleti.
Source: The Parliament of Georgia, July 2008
www.parliament.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=1
Georgia Faces Internal and External Crises After Parliamentary Election Results
May 30, 2008
Georgia is simultaneously facing internal and external pressures. Tens of thousands of opposition demonstrators marched through the capital city of Tbilisi earlier this week to protest final parliamentary election results they say unfairly favor the ruling party of President Mikhail Saakashvili. At the same time, Georgia is now demanding that Russia apologize for shooting down an unmanned Georgian drone over the breakaway region of Abkhazia last month, while Moscow denies any involvement.
The democratic credentials of President Saakashvili, a U.S.-educated lawyer, have been under scrutiny since he used riot police to crush protests last November. The opposition says he rigged both the presidential election in January and the parliamentary elections in May. But David Nikuradze, Washington correspondent for the independent Georgian broadcasting company Rustavi 2, says it will not be clear what really happened, at least until election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe issue their final report on the May elections in a week or two. Speaking with host Judith Latham of VOA News Now’s International Press Club, Mr. Nikuradze says he was not surprised that the ruling party won 120 out of 150 parliamentary seats because the economy has improved in recent years.
But VOA Moscow correspondent Peter Fedynsky notes that the international observers did not make a definitive judgment on the opposition’s allegation of rigged elections. Still, leaders of the main opposition group say they will boycott the new parliament and have refused to take the 16 seats they won in last week’s vote. Mr. Fedynsky says the opposition wants to “flat out close down parliament.”
Meanwhile tensions have escalated between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. At the end of the Soviet period and beginning of the period of Georgian independence, both regions rebelled against the Central Georgian government and became de facto independent entities under the protection of the Russians. Since 1994 there has been a cease-fire. The cease-fire agreement permits Russian peacekeepers to enter Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But the presence of Russian troops in the two regions is a major source of tension between Moscow and Tbilisi. In late April, an unmanned Georgian reconnaissance plane was shot down over Abkhazia, further intensifying those tensions. U.N. investigators released a report Monday saying that radar records showed a military aircraft headed back into Russian airspace after the shoot-down. Peter Fedynsky suggests that the current strain reflects a long-term regional pattern. For the past couple of centuries, he says, there have been wars in the Caucasus involving Russia and the indigenous peoples there – the Georgians, the Abkhazians, the South Ossetians, the Chechens, and others. As a result, he says there are a “lot of little independent-minded ethnic groups” that would like independence. Granting such desires, he concludes, would fracture the Russian Federation.
Igor Zevelev, Washington bureau chief for RIA Novosti Russian News and Information Agency, says that Russian-Georgian relations have hit a “new low.” The situation is difficult because it is not only about Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but it is also about NATO, the United States, and Europe. Mr. Zevelev says Georgia accuses Russia of not being neutral as a peacekeeper, but being on the side of the breakaway regions. He says the situation is complicated by the acrimonious relationship between President Saakashvili and former Russian president Vladimir Putin, who now serves as prime minister. The Russian media are reporting that President Saakashvili and newly elected Russian President Dmitri Medvedev will meet in St. Petersburg in early June. Igor Zevelev says that, although there is hope when new leaders meet that relations will improve, he doubts that will be the case this time.
Tensions between the two nations are not likely to subside. Georgia is now asking the U.N. Security Council to convene a meeting to discuss the shooting down of its unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over Akkhazia. Georgia is also demanding an apology from Russia and says it wants compensation. Continued violence adds to the tensions. On Thursday, nine people were injured in two attacks in South Ossetia – one by a car bomb blast in the capital city of Tskhinvali and the other in a mortar attack in the region’s southern Znauri district.
Source: VOA; May 2008
Saakashvili Warns Opposition ‘not to Cross Line’
May 30, 2008
President Saakashvili has warned that no one should have any “illusion that one can create problems to the authorities.”
“The authorities are very strong, but we should not cross the line, over which the problems will be created to our country, as a whole,” Saakashvili said at a meeting with newly elected lawmakers from his ruling party on May 30.
Earlier on May 30 the eight-party opposition bloc and the Labor Party reiterated in a joint statement that they would boycott the newly elected parliament and called for a large-scale protest rally on the day when the parliament planned to convene not to let newly election ruling party MPs inside to thwart the session.
Officials from the ruling party have also warned on several occasions already that the authorities would not allow blocking work of administrative structures, including of the new parliament.
“None of us should do something that will undermine the strength of our country, the reputation of our country, the position of our country in such difficult conditions in terms of the foreign policy,” Saakashvili said. “The [Georgian] authorities are already strong as never before. But Georgia should be stronger. Therefore, we offer a hand of cooperation, friendship, mutual dialogue, unification around Georgia to everybody.”
Saakashvili reiterated that he and his ruling party were ready to offer parliamentary positions, including the post of the Vice-Speaker, to opposition lawmakers. He also said that he was ready to offer seats to opposition in the government as well.