facebook.com/ georgiatoday Issue no: 879 • SEPTEMBER 16 - 19, 2016 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... New Wiretapping Scandal Rocks Georgia ahead of October Elections NEWS PAGE 2 Georgia’s Election Commission Bans Anti- Western Party FOCUS POLITICS PAGE 5 from Elections ON DEMOCRACY Tbilisi’s Real Estate Market Turkish Ambassador speaks out Experiences Spike in Demand against anti-Turkey rhetoric, extols democratic processes BUSINESS PAGE 9 post-coups d'etat PAGE 4 Driving Angry: Ogden on Georgians Georgia Finalizes Free Trade behind the Wheel SOCIETY PAGE 10 Oktoberfest Negotiations with China in Tbilisi this Weekend! BY THEA MORRISON SOCIETY PAGE 11 eorgia and China announced ear- lier this week that the two countries Tbilisi’s Art Palace had agreed on the fi nal details of Hosts Shakespeare a free trade agreement that will open the world’s largest consumer Theater Exhibition Gmarket to Georgian products. The tax-free agreement will be offi cially signed CULTURE PAGE 12 in December and enter into force following its ratifi cation by both countries in mid-2017. According to Georgia’s Minister of Economy Following the Incomparable Dimitry Kumsishvili, 95 percent of Georgian products, including wine and mineral water, will Nneka from Nigeria enter the Chinese market without any additional taxes. CULTURE PAGE 15 Kumsishvili also said that in early October, China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng would visit Tbilisi to sign the agreement. In total, three rounds of negotiations and two working meetings were held between China and Georgia. The possibility of establishing a free Georgia's Minister of Economy Dimitry Kumsishvili with China's Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli in June 2016 trade regime between the two countries was fi rst discussed in September 2015, with the fi rst in China that sell Georgian wines because we Davitashvili weighed in on the issue saying the round of talks held in February. believe that China will become one of the most agreement is of the utmost importance, as it will Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili important export destinations for Georgian wine help develop the agro-food sector. welcomed the announcement, saying the free- and other goods. This is a signifi cant achievement Davitashvili noted that after Russia (14,664,610 trade deal will help boost Georgian wine sales that will have a major effect on the development bottles), China is the second largest destination to China. of the Silk Road Project," Kvirikashvili said. for Georgian wine with 3,368,361 bottles having “We are developing a network of retail shops Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture Levan been exported to the country in 2015. GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS SEPTEMBER 16 - 19, 2016 New Wiretapping Scandal Rocks Georgia ahead of October Elections BY THEA MORRISON AND NICHOLAS WALLER he release of a taped conversation between the Director General of Geor- gia’s Rustavi 2 TV Channel, Nika Gvaramia, and the leader of opposi- tion party State for People, Paata Bur- Tchuladze, caused an uproar in the Georgian capital Wednesday. In the secret recording, Gvaramia is heard telling Burchuladze that he is dissatisfi ed with Burchu- ladze’s partners in the State for the People Party- Putin to Attend Girchi bloc, as the latter prefer to be in a coalition with the Georgian Dream (GD) party. Burchuladze is later heard in the recordings deny- ing the claims. According to Gvaramia, the moment when Bur- chuladze says he has no loyalty to the GD or the CIS Council in main opposition United National Movement (UNM) These actions go beyond the pale of any legal party was cut out of the conversation. norms,” Mishveladze said at a special briefi ng. Gvaramia believes the conversation was illegally Several members of the Georgian Dream coali- recorded and released by the State Security Service tion have accused Gvaramia and Burchuladze of as part of its clandestine eavesdropping program. staging the incident in the run-up to the October The State Security Agency denies any links with 8 parliamentary elections. the recording. According to Georgian Dream member Irakli Bishkek Burchuladze’s party has admitted that the con- Sesiashvili, the conversation confi rms that Burchu- versation took place, but insists that nothing illegal ladze’s party is a front for the UNM. In addition, the meeting will see the planning BY DIMITRI DOLABERIDZE was discussed. The UNM has steadfastly denied the accusations of certain organizational arrangements, in par- “The only scandalous thing is that State Security and accused the State Security Services of launch- ticular the Russian chairmanship in the CIS in Agency continues to spy on opposition leaders and ing a smear campaign against opposition parties 2017. independent media,” said Davit Jandieri from Bur- and the independent media. ussian President Vladimir Putin will 8TH on December 1991, the President of the rsfsr chuladze’s party. “The fact that the State Security Agency contin- today participate in a meeting of the ( Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ), Georgia’s presidential administration also com- ues to wiretap an opposition leader and independ- CIS Council of Heads of State, which Boris Yeltsin, the Supreme Council of Belarus of mented on the issue, saying the state’s security ent media boss are more than concerning,” Sergi will be held in Bishkek, reports the the HEAD, STANISLAU Shushkevich, and the apparatus is violating privacy rights by illegally Kapanadze from the UNM stated. offi cial website of the Kremlin. President of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, the Belov- wiretapping Georgian citizens. Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched RThe presidents of the member countries, during ezhskoe Signed Agreement That effectively ended “Eavesdropping, distributing and circulating any an investigation into the incident but has yet to the meeting, will sum up their activities and the existence of the Soviet Union and announced private conversation to the public is unacceptable. release any details. "exchange views on key issues of further devel- the creation of the territory of the former repub- opment of the Commonwealth." lics of the Commonwealth of Independent States The meeting has been timed to complement the (CIS). 25th anniversary of the CIS. As a result, the meet- The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) ing will adopt several "multilateral instruments." formed when the former Soviet Union (now called In particular, statements on combating international Russia) totally dissolved in 1991. At its conception terrorism, on the world drug problem, as well as it consisted of ten former Soviet Republics: Arme- statements in connection with the 25th anniversary nia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, of the CIS and on the occasion of the 70th anniver- Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Ukraine, and sary of the completion of the Nuremberg Tribunal. Uzbekistan. KazTransGas Seeks to Calm Tbilisi Residents' Gas Leak Fears In an offi cial announcement published by DF BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES Watch, KazTransGas claims that there is no gas leak and nothing for citizens to be concerned about. "The odour comes from a special odorant, not he strong smell of gas was noticed by natural gas itself, as the latter has no odor," residents around Tbilisi starting KazTransGas stated. "The odorant is absolutely Wednesday morning. Accounts were safe and its addition is required by law." heard from Saburtalo, Vake, Sololaki, Rustavi2 announced that 11 people were taken to Mtatsminda village and even from a hospital with symptoms of intoxication throughout Tresidential settlement near Tsavkisi. the day on Wednesday. IPN claims that over 3,000 calls had been made KazTranGas highlighted that it is not responsible to emergency services by worried citizens by noon for the process of odorization of gas as the duty is Wednesday. At present, the gas company is not undertaken by the Georgian Gas Transportation responding to calls. Company, which itself made a special announce- In an offi cial announcement published by DF ment about Wednesday's events. Watch, KazTransGas claims that there is no gas The company claims that no technical problems leak and nothing for citizens to be concerned about. were detected during odorization. “11 people were "The odour comes from a special odorant, not hospitalized with symptoms that are characteristic natural gas itself, as the latter has no odor," to gas poisoning,” the company said. “The health KazTransGas stated. "Odorant is being added to conditions of each patient were carefully examined. the natual gas in order to prevent its leakage," they In none of the cases could gas poisoning be con- added. "The odorant is absolutely safe and its addi- fi rmed and all patients were discharged from hos- tion is required by law." pital the same day.” Rustavi2 announced that 11 people were taken to The same announcement repeats that odorant is hospital with symptoms of intoxication throughout not hazardous to health and that although the pro- the day on Wednesday. "The poisoning was caused cess of odorization was carried out manually by by natural gas," emergency services confi rmed. qualifi ed staff members on Wednesday, in future The strong smell of gas was noticed by residents the whole process will be carried out automatically around Tbilisi starting Wednesday morning. using a mechanized system. Accounts were heard from Saburtalo, Vake, Sololaki, Mtatsminda village and even from a residential settlement near Tsavkisi. IPN claims that over 3,000 calls had been made to emergency services by worried citizens by noon Wednesday. At present, the gas company is not responding to calls. GEORGIA TODAY SEPTEMBER 16 - 19, 2016 NEWS 3 Bricorama Opens Tbilisi Branch Silicon Valley Tbilisi Opens sive reach to the global market. BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI The reason for developing the complex comes from the numerous untapped possibilities Georgia has to offer. “We’ve eorgia’s new research, busi- been analyzing global trends and ten- ness and development dencies that will help with Georgia’s center, known as the Silicon development,” the Business and Tech- Valley Tbilisi Project, is nology University’s Director, Mikheil sonal design products.