“Impartial, Informative, Insightful” GEL 3.00 #108 (4665) FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020 WWW.MESSENGER.COM.GE POLITICS Aleko Elisashvili, Ana Dolidze and German ambassador explains the German Prosecutor’s Office’s Levan Koberidze create a new platform comment regarding the murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili FULL STORY ON Page 2 ECONOMICS NBG publishes conclusion on 2020 draft budget Leaders of a new political platform. Photo: IPN agencies has the authority to remove Dolidze from the post of the High Council of Justice. Nazi Janezashvili, another a non- FULL STORY ON Page 3 judicial member of the High Council of Justice, demanded that her colleague, Dolidze, explains who is funding her or- ganization and why? Janezashvili wrote BY NATALIA KOCHIASHVILI on the social network Facebook that if Dolidze resigns today, she has already epresentatives of the civil move- violated the law. In the post, she made R ment Aleko Elisashvili and Levan an extensive explanation of the conflict Ioseliani, a non-judicial member of the of interest and listed 3 main limitations, Council of Justice and one of the found- which, in her estimation, does not allow ers of the Movement for the People, Ana Dolidze to carry out political activities. Dolidze and independent MP Levan She also responded to the new political Koberidze formed the ‘New Platform’ platform: “After that, are there still ques- and confirmed their commitment by the tions about Dolidze’s political activities? Memorandum of Understanding. I repeat, the law prohibits non-judicial According to the memorandum, the members of the High Council of Justice New Platform is a union that gives new NGOs say if Ana Dolidze is going to be involved in politics, she should resign. from engaging in political activities! opportunities to the people and the coun- When you criticize others for lack of try in a polarized environment between Movement. “However, we will see what it the 2013 legislative amendment removed transparency, publicity, honesty, you the two opposing political forces: will look like and what form it will take in members of parliament from the High should have a moral right to do so and As Dolidze said in her speech, clean, general, and we do not rule out that our Council of Justice, replacing them with you should not be a violator of the law,” country-minded party members should stand here will turn into a political team,” academics and professionals who were Janezashvili wrote. unite with others and mobilize forces to Elisashvili explained. barred from membership in political Dolidze founded the civil movement create a new agenda. He said that at this stage, the politi- unions and political activities. “The imple- ‘For the People’ on May 21. She said the “Our task is to create a different plat- cal force closest to the views of the New mentation of such activities is a precondi- aim of the movement was to create a new form for discussion, which will become Platform is Lelo and consultations are tion for the termination of the authority of political reality with ‘clean hands’. On a new healthy alternative to today’s underway with it. a member of the High Council of Justice. the same day, she posted a ‘manifesto for polarized atmosphere, and will bring Note that this week the civil sector The purpose of the law is to protect and the people’ on her official Facebook page together patriotic, conscientious and car- called on Dolidze to resign if she intends maintain the political neutrality of the and later spoke to the media about the ing citizens of similar values around​​ us,” to engage in politics. judiciary,” the statement said. organization’s visions and future plans. said Dolidze, adding that they believe in 7 non-governmental organizations NGOs say, since Dolidze’s appoint- Dolidze later responded to calls from the possibility of creating a new agenda consider that the status of a non-judicial ment as a member of the High Council of seven NGOs, saying she would decide to by uniting their efforts that will serve as member of the High Council of Justice is Justice, she has been actively involved step down when she decides on political a base for building successful and free incompatible with the implementation of in identifying problems in the judiciary, activities. Georgia. political goals. The statement of the civil finding ways to solve them and informing “As long as I am a member of the According to Elisashvili, the leader sector is related to the activities of Dolid- the public. They also underlined the spe- Council of Justice and carry out public of the Civil Movement, it is not ruled ze’s civil organization For the People. cial importance of the work she has done activities, I think my vote in this council out that New Platform will form into a After the Georgian Dream came to during the composition of the Supreme is very important for the country and as serious ‘political statement.’ He said that power, the signatory organizations ac- Court and the legal framework to improve I have been talking for several weeks, as the registration of the political party has tively supported the issue of depoliticizing the selection process. soon as I decide to engage in political ac- been started by the leaders of the Civil the High Council of Justice. To this end, At the same time, none of the state tivity I will make this decision,” she said. P2 | POLITICS FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020 FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020 ECONOMICS | P3 German ambassador explains the German Prosecutor’s Office’s EXCHANGE RATES: US DOLLAR - 3.0404 | EURO - 3.4669 | GBP - 3.4177 | 100 RUSSIAN RUBLE - 4.3638 | SWISS FRANC - 3.2008 | comment regarding the murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili NBG publishes conclusion on 2020 draft budget THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO GEORGIA HUBERT KNIRSCH STATED THAT THE WORDS OF THE GERMAN PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE REGARDING THE GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT BELONGED TO THE DECEASED ZELIMKHAN KHANGOSHVILI AND NOT TO THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE ITSELF. BY NATALIA KOCHIASHVILI international donor organiza- is ¢901 million more than tions,” reads the document. last year. Foreign liabilities As a result, international increase by ¢5,199 million. As BY ANASTASIA SOKHADZE killed in Germany on August tor’s office, Khangoshvili fell to the he National Bank of Georgia 23rd, 2019. His murderer was ground, the accused also fell off (NBG) has published its reserves will increase, allowing a result, the government debt T the NBG to carry out foreign to GDP ratio increases by 13.2 ccording to the Ambassador soon arrested and was eventually the bicycle, but soon approached assessment of the adjustment of exchange interventions as percentage points in 2020 to of Germany to Georgia, the proven to be a citizen of Russia. Khangoshvili and shot him twice the 2020 budget. According to the A needed and thus avoid poten- 54.4%. Despite rapid growth, prosecutor’s office used a wording The statement of the prosecu- in the head. Khangoshvili died on document, the new debts, which tial additional pressure on the government debt to GDP is that was not optimal and could tor’s office does not say the name the spot. the Georgian government plans exchange rate and inflation still below 60%. have been better. The German of the accused in the murder and The Russian government de- to borrow, will not pose a risk to resulting from the increased “Assuming that GDP growth Prosecutor’s Office tried to quote only mentions Vadim K. Accord- nies any involvement in Khan- the country’s financial stability budget deficit. will average 5% in the coming the victim while describing the ing to the journalistic investiga- goshvili’s liquidation. At the same and the debt will be maintained The main source of funding years and the budget deficit will Georgian government. tion carried out by Bellingcat in time, Russian President Vladimir at a sustainable level. for the budget deficit is the in- fall below 3% in the medium “When Khangoshvili ex- December 2019, the name of the Putin called him a ‘militant’ and According to the draft law crease in liabilities. term, this increase in debt does plained why he was in Germany, murderer is Vadim Krasikov, said he was guilty of blowing up submitted to the Parliament of The project envisages the not pose a risk of debt sustain- he said that he was against the who arrived in Germany with a the Moscow metro. According Georgia, the state budget rev- mobilization of ¢1,850 mil- ability in the medium term,” so-called pro-Russian government passport issued in the name of to him, Russia demanded the enues will be set at ¢10.303 mil- lion, of which ¢8.979 million will lion through the issuance of the National Bank said in a of Georgia. It’s unfortunate that it Vadim Sokolov. extradition of Khangoshvili from In 2020, the Georgian government plans to get a record ¢7.2 billion in foreign be on tax revenues and ¢1.323 government securities, which statement. seemed as if we characterized the According to the text of the Germany and Germany refused it. debt. For comparison, in 2019, Georgia took on a new foreign debt of ¢1.386 billion. political orientation of the Geor- German investigation agency, million will be on non-tax rev- gian government, it was not our Vadim Krasikov first left Moscow enues. State budget tax revenues recovery process. At the same intention,” stated Knirsch. for Paris on August 17th and then are down 7.1% compared to the time, it should be kept in mind The German Federal Pros- moved to Warsaw on August 2019 same index.