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Issue no: 887 • OCTOBER 14 - 17, 2016 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Harvest Starts in Racha-Lechkhumi Region NEWS PAGE 3 Sophisticated Politics: Ogden on The Aftermath FOCUS POLITICS PAGE 4 ON THE AFTERMATH UNM Claims Ruling Team Street fi ghts, resignations and Physically Abused Their Members conspiracy theories. The week after the Georgian Parliamentary Elections POLITICS PAGE 6 PAGE 1 - 7 What Currency Should We Choose for Our Mortgage? POLITICS PAGE 6 Do We Now Have a Better Parliament? Putin Orders Russians to Return Home Amid New Cold War POLITICS PAGE 7 Georgia’s Min of Energy Hosts BY NICHOLAS WALLER Presentation on EU Renewable n an unprecedented move that has alarmed Energy Directive many in the international community, Rus- SOCIETY PAGE 8 sian President Vladimir Putin reportedly issued an order early this week for all Rus- sian offi cials and their relatives living abroad INTERVIEW: Romaine Ito fl y home amid heightened tensions with the West and the prospect of a global war. Audrerie - London’s Top According to reports in the international and local media, Russian politicians, administrative Sommelier Discovers Georgia staff and employees of public corporations have been ordered to take their children out of foreign CULTURE PAGE 10 schools immediately. If true, the move comes after a stormy week in Russian-Western relations. Putin cancelled a planned visit to France amid Griboedov Theater Opens a furious row over Moscow's role in the Syrian 171th Season with Finnish confl ict and just days after it emerged the Krem- lin had moved Iskander nuclear missile batteries Collaboration ‘Frozen Images’ to the Polish border. The unprecedented cancellation of a visit so feared-FSB security service has been engaged in their nuclear weapons for use against Russia." CULTURE PAGE 15 close to being fi nalized is a “serious step and an intense campaign of cyber warfare against key Despite the claims of the Russian media, West- reminiscent of the Cold War”, said Russian for- Western countries for the better part of two years. ern offi cials have been reluctant to deem the eign policy analyst Fyodor Lukyanov. Russia has been ratcheting up talk of an armed recent events as anything more than a rise in ten- “This is part of the broader escalation in the confrontation with the West since early October. sions between the two sides. tensions between Russia and the West, and Rus- On October 7, the Kremlin launched a massive Despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, occupa- sia and NATO,' he told AFP. nationwide civil defense training exercise to ensure tion of Georgian territory and actions in Syria – The Kremlin’s indignation towards the inter- the country is properly prepared forna nuclear, offi cials in Washington and London refuse to clas- national community was on full display earlier chemical and biological attack from NATO. sify Russian offi cials’ open threats of armed confl ict in the week accusing the US, UK and France of Lasting three days, the exercise involved 200,000 or a nuclear exchange as a New Cold War. spreading anti-Russian hysteria after each said emergency personnel and the co-operation of 40 Russia recently unilaterally pulled out of two Russia should face war crimes for its role in the million civilians. key nuclear arms treaties and bombed a UN aid Syrian Civil War. The exercise came after the popular Defense convoy in Syria that killed dozens – actions that Putin was further incensed when US President Ministry-run Zvezda TV network announced. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said “were Barack Obama cited CIA reports that Russia’s "Schizophrenics from America are sharpening turning Russia into a pariah state.” GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS OCTOBER 14 - 17, 2016 Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili and Lower Svaneti Governor, Papuna Margvelidze in Racha Harvest Starts in Racha- Lechkhumi Region “The harvest is underway in an organized man- BY THEA MORRISON ner. The demand for local grapes is very high, particularly from entrepreneurs,” Governor Margvelidze stated. ollowing on from the Kakheti region, Harvest Coordination staff in Racha-Lechkhumi the annual grape harvest has begun in will be led by the Head of the National Wine mountainous Racha-Lechkhumi. Agri- Agency, Giorgi Samanishvili. culture Minister Levan Davitashvili At this stage, 15 wine companies are registered and Lower Svaneti Governor, Papuna at the Ambrolauri Harvest Coordination head- FMargvelidze, arrived in the region to open the quarters. Coordination Headquarters of Grape Harvest Initially, six grape receiving centers were opened 2016 in Ambrolauri Municipality. - three in Ambrolauri and three in the villages: The Minister noted that harvest preparatory Chrebalo, Bugeuli and Khvanchkara. The centers works have been completed and the government receive grapes from 10 am to 6pm. is ready to successfully conduct the harvest pro- In order to promote grape growing, the govern- cess. ment has subsidized the harvest and will issue The Minister himself participated in the harvest 0.45 GEL per kilogram for Rkatsiteli grapes, 0.20 in Saketsia village before heading to Bugeuli vil- GEL per kilo for Saperavi and 0.45 GEL per kilo lage to visit the grape processing factory there. for Kakhetian Green as subsidies. “At present, 100 tons of grapes have been pro- The highest price is on Mujuretuli and Alek- cessed in Racha. The harvest here will be con- sandrouli grapes with wine factories having to ducted as successfully as in Kakheti,” stated the pay 2 GEL per kilo within the state subsidies Minister, going on to promise the locals that each program. farmer’s harvest will be purchased. After delivering the grapes to the factories, the The local farmers expect around 500-600 tons village farmers will receive their money within of Aleksandrouli and Mujurouli grapes this year. 15 working days by presenting their ID cards. Georgian Dream Has Strong Showing in Adjara’s Local Elections dates stood for both Parliament and the Supreme BY MARIKO NATSARISHVILI Council in the region, only one of which – a mem- ber of the Georgian Dream – crossed the 50 per cent threshold needed to avoid a second round run oters in Georgia’s western Adjara off. region on the Black Sea coast went If the Georgian Dream fares well in the next round, to the polls on October 8 to cast their winning all the majoritarian seats, the ruling coali- ballot for the country’s next parlia- tion will have a constitutional super majority in ment, but unlike the rest of Saturday’s the 21-member Supreme Council. Vvoters, Adjaran residents were also voting for their As it currently stands, the Georgian Dream will region’s autonomous legislative body. have eight members, United National Movement By all accounts, the elections went smoothly and – 5; and one spot each for the Democratic Move- peacefully as 162,076 Adjaran residents – 52.5 per- ment and Patriotic Alliance. cent of the region’s population – cast their vote. Adjara’s Supreme Council is the foundation of According to preliminary results from the Adja- the region’s status as an autonomous republic inside ran Autonomous Republic Central Election Com- Georgia. The members of the Supreme Council are mission, the ruling Georgian Dream party garnered elected to four-year terms. 44.91 percent of the vote and the main opposition United National Move- ment received 29.63 per- cent of the ballots cast. The only other parties to cross the 5 percent threshold needed to enter Adjara’s Supreme Council were the two staunchly pro-Russian parties – vet- eran lawmaker Nino Burd- janadze’s Democratic Movement (6.08 percent) and the Patriotic Alliance (5.71 percent), led by Irma Inashvili. Six majoritarian candi- GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 14 - 17, 2016 NEWS 3 Tbilisoba Kicks Off This Weekend The recently renovated Agmashenebeli BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI Avenue, “The New Tifl is,” will be the epicenter of the city festival, with exibi- tions, literature and musical events he annual city festival Tbi- packed into the area. lisoba is set to be something Tbilisoba will open this Saturday at massive this year. On the Legvtakhevi (Abanotubani district) and weekend of October 15 -16, end on Ocober 16 with a concert of pop- the city of Tbilisi will ular Georgian singers, but in between, Tbecome a center of many cultural, sports, additional to the above, there will be an children’s activities, food and agricultural exhibition of old cars, an old Georgian fairs, concerts, exhibitions and live per- bazaar on Europe Square with popular formances- all at different spots through- Georgian gardener Zura Shevardnadze out the capital. as host, several open air concerts, wine Rikhe Park will be transformed into a and food tastings and much, much more, children’s city, with concerts and theatrical all promising to bring a vibrant weekend performances to be held over the two dys. to the town. Veteran Georgian Politician Alasania Resigns to qualify for the second round of elec- gia and for the people who voted for BY THEA MORRISON tions later this month. me,” said Alasania, promising he would Alasania thanked all his supporters always stand by his country and peo- while saying his decision was based ple. he leader of Georgia’s on the Free Democrats inability to cross Alasania is a former soldier and opposition Free Demo- the 5 percent threshold needed to enter prominent diplomat who founded the crats party Irakli Alasania into the next parliament. Free Democrats in 2009. announced that he plans “At this time, I do not see a way for- In early 2012, his party joined the to temporarily leave pol- ward where my team and I will be able Georgian Dream Coalition and he Titics after his party’s poor showing in to infl uence the current political pro- served as Defense Minister until 2014.