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The Telegraph Names Georgia Top Travel Destination for UK Airlines
Issue no: 889 • OCTOBER 21 - 24, 2016 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Tbilisi Marathon to Take Place in City Center NEWS PAGE 2 Obama Calls Donald Trump’s Admiration of Putin ‘Unprecedented’ POLITICS PAGE 6 Separatist Commander, Alleged War Criminal Killed in Ukraine’s Donbass FOCUS POLITICS PAGE 7 ON EU RELATIONS & GEORGIAN VALUES Neuter and Spay Day with Ambassador Janos Herman discusses Mayhew International in Tbilisi EU-Georgia relations, values and bilateral cooperation PAGE 8 SOCIETY PAGE 10 Boris Akunin Meets Georgian The Telegraph Names Georgia Top Readers SOCIETY PAGE 10 Travel Destination for UK Airlines Tabliashvili’s Fairytale beyond he UK daily newspaper The Tel- Illusions egraph has named Georgia a top CULTURE PAGE 13 travel destination in an article titled: ‘17 amazing places UK air- lines should wake up and launch Product Tfl ights to.’ The article names 17 top destinations within Management 9,000 miles of London that need to be con- nected to Britain and can be reached from Workshop for Britain with just a single fl ight, and recommends British airline companies to launch direct fl ights Performing Arts there. The article recommends readers visit Geor- Professionals in gia “one of the oldest countries in the world,” and cites one of the tourists: Adjara "These days, its fi ne Art Nouveau buildings CULTURE PAGE 15 and pretty, traditional balconied houses are what some would call shabby chic. Yet new hotels and shopping malls are springing up and gentrifi cation is under way in its more historic districts. -
Quarterly Report on the Political Situation in Georgia and Related Foreign Malign Influence
REPORT QUARTERLY REPORT ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN GEORGIA AND RELATED FOREIGN MALIGN INFLUENCE 2021 EUROPEAN VALUES CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY European Values Center for Security Policy is a non-governmental, non-partisan institute defending freedom and sovereignty. We protect liberal democracy, the rule of law, and the transatlantic alliance of the Czech Republic. We help defend Europe especially from the malign influences of Russia, China, and Islamic extremists. We envision a free, safe, and prosperous Czechia within a vibrant Central Europe that is an integral part of the transatlantic community and is based on a firm alliance with the USA. Authors: David Stulík - Head of Eastern European Program, European Values Center for Security Policy Miranda Betchvaia - Intern of Eastern European Program, European Values Center for Security Policy Notice: The following report (ISSUE 3) aims to provide a brief overview of the political crisis in Georgia and its development during the period of January-March 2021. The crisis has been evolving since the parliamentary elections held on 31 October 2020. The report briefly summarizes the background context, touches upon the current political deadlock, and includes the key developments since the previous quarterly report. Responses from the third sector and Georgia’s Western partners will also be discussed. Besides, the report considers anti-Western messages and disinformation, which have contributed to Georgia’s political crisis. This report has been produced under the two-years project implemented by the Prague-based European Values Center for Security Policy in Georgia. The project is supported by the Transition Promotion Program of The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Emerging Donors Challenge Program of the USAID. -
Georgia: Background and U.S
Georgia: Background and U.S. Policy Updated September 5, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45307 SUMMARY R45307 Georgia: Background and U.S. Policy September 5, 2018 Georgia is one of the United States’ closest non-NATO partners among the post-Soviet states. With a history of strong economic aid and security cooperation, the United States Cory Welt has deepened its strategic partnership with Georgia since Russia’s 2008 invasion of Analyst in European Affairs Georgia and 2014 invasion of Ukraine. U.S. policy expressly supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and Georgia is a leading recipient of U.S. aid in Europe and Eurasia. Many observers consider Georgia to be one of the most democratic states in the post-Soviet region, even as the country faces ongoing governance challenges. The center-left Georgian Dream party has more than a three-fourths supermajority in parliament, allowing it to rule with only limited checks and balances. Although Georgia faces high rates of poverty and underemployment, its economy in 2017 appeared to enter a period of stronger growth than the previous four years. The Georgian Dream won elections in 2012 amid growing dissatisfaction with the former ruling party, Georgia: Basic Facts Mikheil Saakashvili’s center-right United National Population: 3.73 million (2018 est.) Movement, which came to power as a result of Comparative Area: slightly larger than West Virginia Georgia’s 2003 Rose Revolution. In August 2008, Capital: Tbilisi Russia went to war with Georgia to prevent Ethnic Composition: 87% Georgian, 6% Azerbaijani, 5% Saakashvili’s government from reestablishing control Armenian (2014 census) over Georgia’s regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Religion: 83% Georgian Orthodox, 11% Muslim, 3% Armenian which broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s to Apostolic (2014 census) become informal Russian protectorates. -
The Year in Elections, 2013: the World's Flawed and Failed Contests
The Year in Elections, 2013: The World's Flawed and Failed Contests The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Norris, Pippa, Richard W. Frank, and Ferran Martinez i Coma. 2014. The Year in Elections 2013: The World's Flawed and Failed Contests. The Electoral Integrity Project. Published Version http://www.electoralintegrityproject.com/ Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11744445 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA THE YEAR IN ELECTIONS, 2013 THE WORLD’S FLAWED AND FAILED CONTESTS Pippa Norris, Richard W. Frank, and Ferran Martínez i Coma February 2014 THE YEAR IN ELECTIONS, 2013 WWW. ELECTORALINTEGRITYPROJECT.COM The Electoral Integrity Project Department of Government and International Relations Merewether Building, HO4 University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Phone: +61(2) 9351 6041 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.electoralintegrityproject.com Copyright © Pippa Norris, Ferran Martínez i Coma, and Richard W. Frank 2014. All rights reserved. Photo credits Cover photo: ‘Ballot for national election.’ by Daniel Littlewood, http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniellittlewood/413339945. Licence at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. Page 6 and 18: ‘Ballot sections are separated for counting.’ by Brittany Danisch, http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdanisch/6084970163/ Licence at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. Page 8: ‘Women in Pakistan wait to vote’ by DFID - UK Department for International Development, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/8735821208/ Licence at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. -
Revolutionary Tactics: Insights from Police and Justice Reform in Georgia
TRANSITIONS FORUM | CASE STUDY | JUNE 2014 Revolutionary Tactics: Insights from Police and Justice Reform in Georgia by Peter Pomerantsev with Geoffrey Robertson, Jovan Ratković and Anne Applebaum www.li.com www.prosperity.com ABOUT THE LEGATUM INSTITUTE Based in London, the Legatum Institute (LI) is an independent non-partisan public policy organisation whose research, publications, and programmes advance ideas and policies in support of free and prosperous societies around the world. LI’s signature annual publication is the Legatum Prosperity Index™, a unique global assessment of national prosperity based on both wealth and wellbeing. LI is the co-publisher of Democracy Lab, a journalistic joint-venture with Foreign Policy Magazine dedicated to covering political and economic transitions around the world. www.li.com www.prosperity.com http://democracylab.foreignpolicy.com TRANSITIONS FORUM CONTENTS Introduction 3 Background 4 Tactics for Revolutionary Change: Police Reform 6 Jovan Ratković: A Serbian Perspective on Georgia’s Police Reforms Justice: A Botched Reform? 10 Jovan Ratković: The Serbian Experience of Justice Reform Geoffrey Robertson: Judicial Reform The Downsides of Revolutionary Maximalism 13 1 Truth and Reconciliation Jovan Ratković: How Serbia Has Been Coming to Terms with the Past Geoffrey Robertson: Dealing with the Past 2 The Need to Foster an Opposition Jovan Ratković: The Serbian Experience of Fostering a Healthy Opposition Russia and the West: Geopolitical Direction and Domestic Reforms 18 What Georgia Means: for Ukraine and Beyond 20 References 21 About the Author and Contributors 24 About the Legatum Institute inside front cover Legatum Prosperity IndexTM Country Factsheet 2013 25 TRANSITIONS forum | 2 TRANSITIONS FORUM The reforms carried out in Georgia after the Rose Revolution of 2004 were Introduction among the most radical ever attempted in the post-Soviet world, and probably the most controversial. -
News Digest on Georgia
NEWS DIGEST ON GEORGIA February 10-12 Compiled by: Aleksandre Davitashvili Date: February 13, 2020 Foreign Affairs 1. New Head of EU Monitoring Mission Georgia Appointed On February 11, the Council of the European Union appointed Marek Szczygieł as the new Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Georgia. Marek Szczygieł, 50, a long serving Polish diplomat is currently ambassador for emerging security challenges and Co-ordinator for International Cyber Policy in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously, in 2011-2015 he served as Polish Ambassador to Bucharest. Earlier, Szczygieł served as Deputy Head of Polish Mission to OSCE and UN Office in Vienna (Civil.ge, February 11, 2020). Internal Affairs 2. Georgia Jails Opposition Leader Gigi Ugulava The Supreme Court of Georgia has found Gigi Ugulava, one of the leaders of opposition European Georgia party, guilty of misspending GEL 48 million of public money from Tbilisi Development Fund, while serving as the mayor of the capital city, and sentenced him to three years and two months in jail. The three-member chamber of the Supreme Court, consisting of former Chief Prosecutor and now Supreme Court judge Shalva Tadumadze, Giorgi Shavliashvili and Merab Gabinashvili deliberated on the case without oral hearing, depriving the parties of an opportunity to voice their arguments (Civil.ge, February 10, 2020). 3. Georgian Opposition Quits Election Talks, after Ugulava Jailed The opposition parties decided to cease electoral reform talks with the ruling Georgian Dream party after it emerged on February 10 that the Supreme Court of Georgia sentenced Gigi Ugulava, one of the leaders of opposition European Georgia party, to imprisonment (Civil.ge, February 10, 2020). -
Final Report of Monitoring the 2017 Local Self-Government Elections
FINAL REPORT OF MONITORING THE 2017 LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR FAIR ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY (ISFED) 2018 Tbilisi FINAL REPORT OF MONITORING THE 2017 LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS REPORT PREPARED BY MIKHEIL BENIDZE TAMAR BARTAIA ELENE NIZHARADZE NINO RIZHAMADZE TATIA KINKLADZE DESIGNED BY: TEMO MACHAVARIANI ISFED election observation mission was made possible with the generous support from the American people, through the financial assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The mission was supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Contribution for observation of the runoff elections also came from the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy and may not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, the Federal Republic of Germany, British Embassy, or NED. 2 CONTENT I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 II. ABOUT THE MONITORING MISSION 6 III. POLITICAL CONTEXT AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 8 IV. THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND LEGISLATIVE CHANGES 10 V. THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION 12 VI. STATE AUDIT OFFICE 14 VII. THE INTER-AGENCY COMMISSION FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS 15 VIII. PRE-ELECTION PERIOD 16 IX. MEDIA ENVIRONMENT 19 X. THE ELECTION DAY 20 XI. POST ELECTION PERIOD AND COMPLAINTS PROCESS 27 XII. RECOMMENDATIONS 33 XIII. METHODOLOGY 36 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ICT Information -
Escaping the Kmara Box: Reframing the Role of Civil Society in Georgia's Rose Revolution Angley, Robyn E
www.ssoar.info Escaping the Kmara Box: Reframing the Role of Civil Society in Georgia's Rose Revolution Angley, Robyn E. Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Angley, R. E. (2013). Escaping the Kmara Box: Reframing the Role of Civil Society in Georgia's Rose Revolution. Studies of Transition States and Societies, 5(1), 42-57. https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-362472 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Deposit-Lizenz (Keine This document is made available under Deposit Licence (No Weiterverbreitung - keine Bearbeitung) zur Verfügung gestellt. Redistribution - no modifications). We grant a non-exclusive, non- Gewährt wird ein nicht exklusives, nicht übertragbares, transferable, individual and limited right to using this document. persönliches und beschränktes Recht auf Nutzung dieses This document is solely intended for your personal, non- Dokuments. Dieses Dokument ist ausschließlich für commercial use. All of the copies of this documents must retain den persönlichen, nicht-kommerziellen Gebrauch bestimmt. all copyright information and other information regarding legal Auf sämtlichen Kopien dieses Dokuments müssen alle protection. You are not allowed to alter this document in any Urheberrechtshinweise und sonstigen Hinweise auf gesetzlichen way, to copy it for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the Schutz beibehalten werden. Sie dürfen dieses Dokument document in public, to perform, distribute or otherwise use the nicht in irgendeiner Weise abändern, noch dürfen Sie document in public. dieses Dokument für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke By using this particular document, you accept the above-stated vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, aufführen, vertreiben oder conditions of use. anderweitig nutzen. -
Georgia 2014 Human Rights Report
GEORGIA 2014 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT Note: Except where otherwise noted, figures and other data do not include the occupied regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The constitution of Georgia provides for an executive branch that reports to the prime minister, a unicameral parliament, and a separate judiciary. The government is accountable to parliament. The president is the head of state and commander in chief. Parliamentary elections in 2012 marked the first democratic transfer of power since the country’s independence. In the October 2013 presidential election, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) concluded that the vote “was efficiently administered, transparent and took place in an amicable and constructive environment.” While the election results reflected the will of the people, observers raised several concerns, including allegations of political pressure at the local level, inconsistent application of the election code, and limited oversight of campaign finance violations. Security forces reported to civilian authorities. The most important human rights problems reported during the year were the following: societal/interpersonal violence, including domestic violence and politically motivated violence; increased societal intolerance of members of minority groups, as reflected in hate speech, interference with religious worship, and intimidation that prevented freedom of assembly; and persistent shortcomings in the legal system that led to incomplete investigations, premature charging of suspects, and inappropriate use of pretrial detention. Other problems reported during the year included abuse by law enforcement officials; substandard prison conditions; allegations of political influence in the administration of justice; allegations of improper electronic surveillance; pressure on opposition figures to withdraw from local elections; and substandard living conditions for internally displaced persons (IDPs). -
Postmodern Siyasi Söylemler Çerçevesinde 1990 Sonrasi Gürcistan- Rusya Ilişkilerinin Analizi
T. C. BURSA ULUDAĞ ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ ULUSLARARASI İLİŞKİLER ANABİLİM DALI ULUSLARARASI İLİŞKİLER BİLİM DALI POSTMODERN SİYASİ SÖYLEMLER ÇERÇEVESİNDE 1990 SONRASI GÜRCİSTAN- RUSYA İLİŞKİLERİNİN ANALİZİ (DOKTORA TEZİ) Burcu GÜÇLÜ AKPINAR BURSA-2019 T. C. BURSA ULUDAĞ ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ ULUSLARARASI İLİŞKİLER ANABİLİM DALI ULUSLARARASI İLİŞKİLER BİLİM DALI POSTMODERN SİYASİ SÖYLEMLER ÇERÇEVESİNDE 1990 SONRASI GÜRCİSTAN- RUSYA İLİŞKİLERİNİN ANALİZİ (DOKTORA TEZİ) Burcu GÜÇLÜ AKPINAR Danışman: Prof.Dr. Ömer Göksel İŞYAR BURSA-2019 ÖZET Yazar Adı ve Soyadı : Burcu GÜÇLÜ AKPINAR Üniversite : Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Enstitü : Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Anabilim Dalı : Uluslararası İlişkiler Bilim Dalı : Uluslararası İlişkiler Tezin Niteliği : Doktora Sayfa Sayısı : xv+ 293 Mezuniyet Tarihi : 14/01/2019 Tez Danışmanı : Prof. Dr. Ömer Göksel İŞYAR POSTMODERN SİYASİ SÖYLEMLER ÇERÇEVESİNDE 1990 SONRASI GÜRCİSTAN-RUSYA İLİŞKİLERİNİN ANALİZİ Bu tez postmodern siyasi söylemler çerçevesinde Gürcistan’ın Rusya ile olan ilişkilerini ele almaktadır. Çalışmada postmodern/post-yapısalcı görüşe bağlı kalınmıştır. Bu yaklaşım içerisinde tez konusuna en uygun görülen metodolojik çerçeve ise Michel Foucault’nun sorunsallaştırma, nesneleştirme ve özneleştirme perspektifidir. Bu yöntem esas alınarak Gürcistan’ın iç ve dış politik durumu incelenmiştir. İlk olarak Gürcistan’ın iç ve dış politikası sorunsallaştırılmış ve Gürcistan’ın iç siyasetinde uyguladığı nesneleştirme pratiklerinin dış siyasetine nasıl yön verdiği ele -
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This project is co-funded by the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development of the European Union EU Grant Agreement number: 290529 Project acronym: ANTICORRP Project title: Anti-Corruption Policies Revisited Work Package: WP3, Corruption and governance improvement in global and continental perspectives Title of deliverable: D3.2.7. Background paper on Georgia Due date of deliverable: 28 February 2014 Actual submission date: 28 February 2014 Author: Andrew Wilson Editor: Alina Mungiu-Pippidi Organization name of lead beneficiary for this deliverable: Hertie School of Governance Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme Dissemination Level PU Public X PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) Co Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services) Georgia Background Report Andrew Wilson University College London January 2014 ABSTRACT Georgia had a terrible reputation for corruption, both in Soviet times and under the presidency of Eduard Shevardnadze (1992-2003). After the ‘Rose Revolution’ that led to Shevardnadze’s early resignation, many proclaimed that the government of new President Mikheil Saakashvili was a success story because of its apparent rapid progress in fighting corruption and promoting neo-liberal market reforms. His critics, however, saw only a façade of reform and a heavy hand in other areas, even before the war with Russia in 2008. Saakashvili’s second term (2008-13) was much more controversial – his supporters saw continued reform under difficult circumstances, his opponents only the consolidation of power. Under Saakashvili Georgia does indeed deserve credit for its innovative reforms that were highly successful in reducing ‘low-level’ corruption. -
Putinization of Georgia: Georgian Media After the Rose Revolution
Putinization of Georgia: Georgian Media after the Rose Revolution Media in Georgia 2003-2007 The Human Rights Centre (HRIDC) is a non-governmental human rights organization, without any political or religious affiliations. The purpose of HRIDC is to increase respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Georgia, as well as to contribute to the democratic development of the country. HRIDC implements projects to ensure compliance with human rights laws and standards. We cooperate with international organizations and local organizations which also share our view that respect for human rights is a precondition for sustaining democracy and peace in Georgia. Contact Details: Human Rights Centre (HRIDC) 3a Kazbegi Ave., Entrance 2, 4th Floor, Apt. 22. Tbilisi, 0160 Georgia Tel: (+995 32) 37 69 50, (+995 32) 45 45 33; Fax: (+995 32) 37 69 50; Email: [email protected] Web-Site: www.hridc.org On-line magazine: www.humanrights.ge Prepared by: Eka Kevanishvili Simon Papuashvili Edited by: Wieteke Daniëls Ucha Nanuashvili The HRIDC wants to express its special gratitude to CORDAID, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for their support to the Human Rights Monitoring Program. 2 Content Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………4 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….... 7 Legal Assessment ………………………………………………………………………………....8 Central Media……………………………………………………………………………………..10 Assessment of the November Events..............................................................................................36