Georgian Positions

October 9 - 15, 2015 WEEKLY PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY www.georgiatoday.ge Price: GEL 2.50 Georgia Today 24 p., Enterprise Georgia 4 p. ISSUE No.787 Georgian President in the IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE BUSINESS HEADLINES US: Lost Chance to Boost State Minister of Diaspora: Offering Green Budapest to Georgian Positions the Right Goals Celebrate One Year and Philosophy Anniversary P.11 In light of the EU refugee On the way to MAPIC P.12 crisis and near-miss Gre- Exit, Georgia sat down with Minister Dumbadze to talk about the Georgian diaspora. P.8 British Council Celebrates Customer Service Week P.13 Life of Syrian Refugees in Berlin’s LaGeSo Georgia Today speaks to the volunteers and refugees at Georgian Ambassador to US criticized for not Berlin's official asylum accompanying President's Delegation. Ambassador argues registration center. P.8 that by law he had to stick with the Prime Minister. Friends of P.2 Georgian Ballet Rustavi 2: Icon of Georgian Democracy? Get Unique Tete-a-Tete with Prima Ballerina P.23 Rustavi2 General Director: The government will shut down before we do! P.2 2 OCTOBER 9 - 15 POLITICS United National Movement Georgian President in the US: Lost Proposes Early Elections Chance to Boost Georgian Positions By Steven Jones The President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, has criticized the Geor- gian Ambassador to the US, Archil Gegeshidze, for “not accompanying his delegation throughout the diverse high- ranking meetings in New York and Washington DC” where the President conducted meetings during the last week of September. UNM supporters at the 2012 electoral campaign.Source: The atlantic.com. Margvelashvili called on the Foreign By Steven Jones (GFF), emphasized that “if the parliamen- Ministry to take adequate measures to tary elections are conducted like the GFF demand the fulfilment of diplomatic eti- United National Movement (UNM), elections, it will not pass peacefully.” quette by those diplomats that are Giorgi Margvelashvili at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Source: Giorgi Margvelashvili the main opposition force in Georgia has Burjanadze claims that the leaders of breaching the law. official, Facebook begun activities demanding Bidzina opposition political parties paid no atten- Gegeshidze replied that, according to gian Law on diplomatic services and did ticipated in the discussion – “Future of Ivanishvili, former Georgian PM, step tion to the elections in the GFF. the law, he was obliged to accompany not breach the law in this instance. Eastern Europe: Strengthening the Role back and a date for early parliamentary Burhanadze commented that observance the second delegation, headed by the PM The argument between the Georgian of Women”. The President also held sev- elections be appointed. of election processes is the case in nor- of Georgia, and as such was unable to government and the President occurred eral bilateral meetings and gave public Irakli Batiashvili, member of The mal states, but unfortunately, Georgia simultaneously be with both delegations on the topic of participating in the UN speeches in both New York and Wash- Democratic Movement party, says former could not manage to become a demo- in different US cities. General Assembly, the 70th anniversary ington DC at various high-caliber think government [UNM] members are plan- cratic country. The President, assessing his visit to of the international organization. The tanks and organizations, such as World ning an attack on Bidzina Ivanishvili. It seems that the Georgian internal the US as successful, raised the issue of two parties, who had previously been Bank and Carnegie Endowment. “I have this information from a reli- political environment, amid the govern- ‘ignorance’ of the Georgian Embassy in united under one Georgian Dream coa- Despite President Margvelashvili’s op- able source, with which I have had rela- ment’s failure to fulfill the promises of the US throughout his exclusive inter- lition, decided that two official delega- positional stance toward the Georgian tions since the period when I was the the 2012 elections, is becoming more view with Rustavi 2 TV’s talk-show tions would be led separately by the Dream, he believes his official visit to the Chairman of Information and Intelligence complicated over time. ‘Archevani’ where he discussed the dis- President and Prime Minister. US should have been utilized by the gov- Service. The former government represen- Likewise, Russian information propa- similar aspects of Georgia’s internal and While in the US, PM Garibashvili ernment as an opportunity to further deepen tatives who are now in emigration are plan- ganda robustly endeavors to undermine external political environment. attended diverse formats of official and kick off certain issues, such as talks on ning a terror attack to kill Ivanishvili. Cer- Georgian sovereignty and mislead soci- President Margvelashvili and PM meetings and gave a speech at the UN a Free Trade Agreement with the US. tain individuals have already arrived here ety by creating a negative icon of the EU Garibashvili both headed to the US to General Assembly session on October The President also says that Georgia to prepare the attack,” Batiashvili stated. and NATO in the country. Moreover, the participate in different high-caliber 1. At the same time, some bilateral meet- has disappeared from the US radars, a In response to Batiashvili’s accusa- number of disappointed voters in Geor- meetings. As the presidential adminis- ings within the framework of the Assem- statement later bolstered by Georgian tion, Akaki Bobokhidze from the UNM gia has steadily been growing, as ‘democ- tration reported, the Georgian Ambas- bly were held with Georgia’s interna- Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said: “Irakli Batiashvili must have got his racy has offered no tangible results in the sador to the US did not meet the Presi- tional partners. who, when talking with Georgian me- information from the Russian security short run.’ It is believed that this highly dent to accompany his delegation to dif- At the same time, the President was dia, stated he felt certain reason to self- service.” As Bobokhidze explains, the intricate process could simply be taken ferent meetings in New York and Wash- in New York City and Washington DC, criticize when US President Barack UNM is far from having any such plan. as an advantage by Russian political ington DC. The Ambassador claims he having been invited by Lithuanian Presi- Obama did not mention Georgia in his “But it seems he misunderstood the in- forces in the country to win a consider- behaved correctly according to the Geor- dent, Dalia Grybauskaite, where he par- speech at the UN General Assembly. formation”- Bobokhidze went on- “as in able number of places in the Georgian fact the Chechens and Kazakhs may be Parliament. planning on retaliating against the former Is the United National Movement and Rustavi 2: Icon of Georgian Democracy? Prime Minister for his old sins.” the overall political atmosphere in the By Zviad Adzinbaia the freezing of assets, citing that the broad- on an ownership dispute, may pose a threat In the meantime, Nino Burjanadze, country ready for snap elections? How caster has been strictly controlled by the to free media. European MPs, including one of the main Pro-Russian forces from could the political and social processes Last week, Nika Gvaramia, the Gen- United National Movement, the main op- the US side and other Georgia’s interna- the Democratic Party in Georgia, com- develop in the country throughout the eral Director of Rustavi 2, promised that position party in Georgia. According to the tional partners, have expressed their fears menting on last week’s querulous elec- year before the regular date of elections the Georgian Government would be shut two, there are no alternatives for the leg- concerning the case against the TV com- tions of the Georgian Football Federation of October 1, 2016? down before his company was. islative process, which “serves to estab- pany, claiming the decision is dispropor- “The government delivered a death lish fairness in a democratic society.” tionate, excessive and might constitute a sentence when it closed Rustavi 2 TV. In response, Nika Gvaramia cited that threat to media pluralism in Georgia. Now we must attract grants. We are work- both Akimidze and Dvali represented At the same time, Georgian civil soci- ing without pay and we have to increase voices of the government. He went on to ety institutions such as Media Develop- our income. We promise the government accuse the entire government, and the Geor- ment Foundation (MDF), Georgia’s Re- that they will be closed before we are,” gian Dream coalition in general, of attack- forms Association (GRASS) and Toler- Gvaramia stated. ing free media and freedom of speech. ance and Diversity Institution (TDI) have The TV company has said that if they The sequestration was followed by a shown support for Rustavi 2. can raise 6 million Lari from investors, social media campaign in support of the Analysis by Georgia Today’s then the company could survive finan- television station, which has endured a Zviad Adzinbaia: cially. number of attacks from different govern- The Georgian government, while de- “There will be protests within the ments throughout its more than two de- nying its involvement in the process of the framework of freedom of expression. We cades of operation. Thousands of support- attack against the main broadcaster in are different from the government. Their ers have appeared on social networks - Georgia, have openly expressed some representatives and supporters rush into including Georgian expats – with mes- radical positions against the media insti- judges homes and humiliate their children. sages of support for the values they be- tution. Even the statements by the then- We will not allow anybody to do that. We lieve Rustavi 2 is based on.

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