World Bank: Georgia Among SOCIETY PAGE 15 Tbilisi Fashion Week Wrap-Up CULTURE PAGE 17 Top Reformers in Doing Business Davit Kipiani
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Issue no: 891 • OCTOBER 28 - 31, 2016 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Sandra Roelofs Refuses to Participate in Election Run-off NEWS PAGE 3 The ABC of Diplomacy, or Flying Doctors POLITICS PAGE 6 Rushing towards Amending the Constitution POLITICS PAGE 7 Presenting Planta - the Largest Greenhouse in Georgia BUSINESS PAGE 10 Genuine Brazilian Cuisine in the Heart of Tbilisi SOCIETY PAGE 14 FOCUS HALLOWEEN ON RESTORING FAITH SPECIAL: NATO needs to start being honest with Georgians A Georgian before it's too late PAGE 4 Make-up Artist Prepares for Halloween World Bank: Georgia among SOCIETY PAGE 15 Tbilisi Fashion Week Wrap-Up CULTURE PAGE 17 Top Reformers in Doing Business Davit Kipiani- BY THEA MORRISON World Bank released its The ‘Moving report- Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity Feast’ of for All on Tuesday. eorgia is among the top global Source: World Bank Football improvers for implementing busi- ness friendly reforms, according SPORTS PAGE 18 to the World Bank (WB) report Doing Business 2017 (DB17) - Equal GOpportunity for All, released on Tuesday. Doing Business measures regulations affecting 11 areas of the life of a business. Ten of these areas are included in this year’s ranking on the ease of doing business: starting a business, deal- ing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insol- vency. Doing Business (DB) also measures labor market regulation, which is not included in this year’s ranking. Continued on page 12 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS OCTOBER 28 - 31, 2016 Renovated Turtle Lake (KusTba) cable car. Source: on.ge KusTba in 7 Minutes with the Renovated Cable-Car were renovated, their original 1965 design was BY THEA MORRISON maintained. Before its offi cial opening earlier this month, Tbilisi City Hall tested the new cable car over sev- he renovated cable-car to Tbilisi’s Tur- eral days to ensure its safety. tle Lake has returned to serve Tbilisi A one way ticket costs 1 GEL. One cable car can locals and visitors. The transport can carry 10-12 people and both cars are adapted for take people from Chavchavadze Avenue people with wheelchairs and other disabilities. to Turtle Lake in just 7 minutes. Special bicycle hooks were also installed on the TAfter a 7-year break, the renovated two-car cable- cable cars. way will be able to transport around 2,000 people The new cable cars will serve people from 08.00 per day, which will help to reduce road traffi c to am to 10.00 pm in winter and from 08.00am to the Lake, located at the top of a hill that overlooks midnight during summer. the central Vake district. Turtle Lake, known as Kus Tba in Georgian, is a Tbilisi City Hall allocated 1.1 million GEL (about small lake on the outskirts of Tbilisi popular with USD 469 thousand) to local company Bagirmsheni the city’s residents as a recreational zone and venue to restore the old cableway. Though the cable cars for concerts and festivals. President Appoints New National Security Council Secretary President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, and new NSC Secretary, Davit Rakviashvili lot of complex tasks ahead of him as the ruling BY THEA MORRISON party Georgian Dream (GD) "is trying to reduce the Presidential System and weaken the role of the Security Council." resident of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelash- “Rakviashvili is a professional and knowledgeable vili presented the new secretary of the person in his fi eld. I want to wish him good luck,” National Security Council (NSC), Davit UNM member Sergi Kapanadze stated. Rakviashvili, on Monday. However, majority member Gia Volsky said it Rakviashvili, 48, replaced former NSC would have been better if the President had dis- Psecretary Irine Imerlishvili, who was appointed by cussed Rakviashvili’s candidacy with the members the President as a judge of the Constitutional Court of the NSC. of Georgia in September. “It would have been good if the President had Davit Rakviashvili was a Deputy State Minister consulted with the members of the NSC. However, for Reintegration in 2008-2010 and was involved it is the President's choice- the NSC Secretary is in the Geneva Discussions. his assistant, whose job it is to organize NSC meet- In 2011-2013 he served at the Georgian Embassy ings,” said Volsky. to the United States. Political expert, Soso Tsiskarishvili, believes that For years he led the supervisory board of Geor- Rakviashvili will be able to fulfi ll his duties well, gian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), where Giorgi because he has worked in a number of relevant Margvelashvili served as Rector. positions and, as such, has good experience. The President described him as an interesting Statutory Members of the NSC meetings are: The and important nominee for the position and noted Prime Minister; Parliament Speaker; Minister of he had known him for 30 years. Foreign Affairs; Defense Minister; Minister of “I assure you that Mr. Rakviashvili is one of the Internal Affairs of Georgia; Chairman of the Defense most prominent climbers of my generation and and Security Committee of the Parliament of Geor- people from this fi eld all know him well. This is a gia; and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Com- serious personal indicator, which is also necessary mittee of the Parliament of Georgia. to hold the position of the Secretary of the National The President of Georgia approves the structure Security Council and to serve the country in strength- of the National Security Council Offi ce, its person- ening its self-defense,” Margvelashvili stated. nel, and regulations concerning the Offi ce and its The newly appointed NSC Secretary thanked the subdivision. President and noted that serving one’s homeland The National Security Council is an advisory is a "great honor for every Georgian." body to the President of Georgia empowered to The opposition approved the President’s choice, consider issues determined by the Organic Law on saying Rakviashvili is a very experienced and com- the National Security Council of Georgia in order petent person and recognizing that he will have a to draft the highest political decisions. GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 28 - 31, 2016 NEWS 3 Georgia’s Interior Ministry Sandra Roelofs Refuses to Participate in Election Opens New Operative Run-off Management Center BY THEA MORRISON andra Roelofs, Majoritarian BY THEA MORRISON Candidate of the opposition party United National Move- ment (UNM) in Zugdidi, Same- he Ministry of Internal drelo region, and estranged Affairs (MIA) of Georgia Swife of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, has opened a new alterna- has announced that she will not par- tive Emergency and Oper- ticipate in the October 30 second round Sandra Roelofs. Source: radioazadlyg.org ative Management Center of Georgia’s parliamentary elections. ond round campaign,” said UNM mem- T‘112’ in Rustavi, Kvemo Kartli Region. Roelofs, 47, claims that the elections ber Givi Targamadze. This is the second 112 Center in Georgia, were unfair and falsifi ed. She believes Other UNM majoritarian candidates after the main offi ce in Tbilisi. participation in the run-off of such elec- will be taking part in the second round, According to the MIA, the new center tions is insulting. saying they will not let GD party form will help to offl oad some of the work of The initial election results in several a constitutional majority in parliament. the main center. The new center is polling stations in Zugdidi were invali- “The second round will be very diffi - equipped with modern technologies and dated by the Central Election Commis- cult, however avoiding this battle is sim- will work in a 24-hour regime to connect sion (CEC) after violent incidents marred ply unacceptable,” UNM member Nika citizens in need with the emergency the voting process on October 8. Melia said. rescue services. The repeat vote was held on October According to the CEC, if a candidate Georgia’s Interior Minister, Giorgi 22 and the results revealed that the ex- refuses to participate in the second round, Mghebrishvili, stated that Georgia is the Government Offi cials visit newly-opened 112 Center in Rustavi First Lady had gained the second highest his/her name still appears in the elec- 4th country in the world to have imple- number of votes after the candidate of tion ballots and people can still vote for mented services for disabled people- a to underline that Georgia’s 112 has been tions. The main purpose of 112 is to pro- the ruling party Georgian Dream (GD). them. If this candidate wins the second special mobile application for patrol awarded as Best Innovative Services out tect human lives, as well as private and Roelofs thanked her voters for sup- round, a by-election will be held to fi ll crews– ‘112 for everyone’ which is adapted of 82 foreign countries for the third time. public property. porting her, however, noted that the the vacant majoritarian seat in Parlia- for disabled people and can receive video The opening ceremony of the Rustavi 112 receives emergency calls from all government stole her supporters votes. ment. calls and messages from people with center was attended by Georgia’s Prime over Georgia via a unifi ed emergency “Everyone knows that I won the fi rst Ex-President Saakashvili, who currently special needs. Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Cabinet number - 1-1-2 throughout 24-hours. The round, so it's insulting for me to take serves as governor of Ukraine’s Odessa Furthermore, the Minister noted that members and foreign guests. 112 service is free of charge from all fi xed part in the second round of these unfair region, responded to the criticism of his 112 has also implemented a special ser- According to the PM, Georgia is ready lines and mobile networks even if the elections,” Roelofs stated, adding that wife, saying it was Sandra’s personal vice for tourists.