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Biography: Lado Gurgenidze
Lado Gurgenidze had served, since May 2006, as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank of Georgia. Prior to his election as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board , Mr. Gurgenidze served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Georgia since October 2004. Mr. Gurgenidze also serves as a Chairman of Supervisory Board …
16/11/2007 - 21:45
Nominee for Prime Minister Outlines Priorities
Dialogue with ordinary people, the business community, foreign investors and the million-strong Georgian diaspora is the top priority, Lado Gurgenidze, the nominee for the position of Prime Minister and a career banker with ten years of investment banking experience, said on November 16.President Saakashvili nominated 36-year-old Lado Gurgenidze, the chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Bank of Georgia …
Saakashvili Nominates BOG Chief as Prime Minister
Lado Gurgenidze, the chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Bank of Georgia, has been nominated by President Saakashvili for the position of Prime Minister. He is to replace Zurab Nogaideli. “Lado Gurgenidze will be nominated for the Prime Minister’s position in the next few hours and I hope the new cabinet will win a …
Kavkasia TV Back on Air
Kavkasia TV resumed broadcasting shortly after the state of emergency was lifted at 7pm local time on November 16. The pro-opposition TV station, which only covers the capital, went off air on November 7, at the same time as Imedi TV did. Imedi, however, remains off air, as its license has been suspended by the courts. This …
State of Emergency Lifted
The nation-wide state of emergency was lifted at 7pm local time on November 16, in accordance with a parliamentary decree passed two days ago. The state of emergency was imposed on November 7 after police broke up demonstrations in Tbilisi. Restrictions were imposed on the dissemination of information, demonstrations and strikes. News coverage was banned on all …
PM Nogaideli to Resign ? Officials Confirm
President Saakashvili will name a new prime minister at a cabinet meeting later today, the president?s press office has confirmed.The resignation of a prime minister automatically means the resignation of the entire cabinet. Georgian media sources had earlier in the day suggested that PM Nogaideli would be replaced by Lado Gurgenidze, the chairman of the Supervisory Board of …
Saakashvili Refused to Comment on Imedi TV ? Reuters
President Saakashvili refused to answer a question from Reuters as to when Imedi TV would be allowed to resume broadcasting, Reuters reported on November 16. Saakashvili said, according to the news agency, that he was in a rush to catch a flight to meet visiting Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev in Batumi, in Adjara. Reuters asked the question following a …
BOG Chief as New PM, Media Suggest
Lado Gurgenidze, the chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Bank of Georgia, may replace Zurab Nogaideli as Prime Minister, Georgian media sources suggested on November 16. When asked by Civil.Ge, an official at the prime minister?s press office refused to confirm or deny the speculation. ?These are rumors, on which we can not comment,? he said. He …
Saakashvili on Lifting of State of Emergency
President Saakashvili said on November 16 that his government was not composed of ?cowards? and it would always respect and secure the rule of law and maintain order in the country. He said nationwide calm and peace would allow him to lift the state of emergency at 7pm on November 16. The president was speaking at Tbilisi …
Russia Finalises Pullout of Batumi Military Base
The last trainload of Russian military equipment left the Batumi military base on November 15, almost a year ahead of schedule. In accordance with an agreement reached between Georgia and Russia in 2006, the pullout was expected to be finalised in 2008. “Despite Tbilisi’s systematic anti-Russian policies, we will still pursue a responsible and constructive stance regarding our …
U.S. Welcomes End to State of Emergency, Calls for Free Media
The United States welcomes the decision of the Georgian parliament to lift the state of emergency on November 16. The move is “positive”, but, according to a U.S. official speaking on November 15, there is a great need for “free, robust, independent media.” “In the coming weeks, as Georgia prepares for elections, it’s very important that …
Parliament Endorses Amendments to Election Code
Parliament endorsed with its first hearing on November 15 draft amendments to the election code, allowing political parties to have representation on the Central Election Commission (CEC). Currently the CEC is composed of certified electoral officials, who, by law, should not have any party affiliations. The adopted amendments, however, do not specify how the seats in …
15/11/2007 - 21:23
Court Explains Reasons Behind Suspending Imedi TV’s License
Imedi TV was used as “a major tool” for organizing the demonstrations, which eventually got out of control, creating “an obvious and real threat of a forceful overthrow of the government,” Tbilisi City Court said in a statement on November 15. The statement was issued in an attempt to clarify its ruling on the suspension of Imedi TV’s broadcast license …
Moscow Accuses Georgian Leadership of ‘Russophobia’
In a statement issued on November 15 the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Georgian authorities were playing the “Russophobe” card in the run-up to the January 5 presidential elections. The polls, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, will be a “farce,” “aimed at maintaining power by the current [Georgian] authorities.” “The proposed date of the elections [with …
Three Companies Bid for Provincial Gas Networks
Three companies – Wissol Georgia, Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, and the Georgian Iveri 7 – have made bids for 26 small provincial gas distribution networks. The Ministry of Economy said on November 15 that it would announce the winner “in the nearest future.” This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
No Agreement with ‘Some Opposition’ on Election Code
Some opposition parties have “radical demands” which may scuttle talks, a senior lawmaker from the ruling party has warned. “Some of the opposition parties are still using the language of ultimatums,” Mikheil Machavariani, the Vice-Speaker of Parliament, told reporters after talks with the opposition on November 15. “It seems that they want to sabotage the negotiations. Their demands …
Emergency Rule to be Lifted at 7pm, November 16
A decree lifting the nation-wide state of emergency, due to come into force at 7 pm local time on November 16, was backed by the Georgian parliament on Thursdays by 153 votes to 2. ?The country will resume normal life starting from tomorrow at 7pm,? Nino Burjanadze said before the vote.Tamaz Khidasheli and Beso Jugeli, lawmakers from the …
‘Hard Talks’ on Election Code
Differences over amendments to the election code persist not only between the opposition and the ruling party, but also among the opposition parties themselves. Closed door talks on the issue were held between Vice Speaker Mikheil Machavariani and representatives from the Conservative, Republican, New Rights and Industrialists parties on November 14. The main point of contention between …
Three Opposition Terms for Free Elections Outlined
Nine opposition parties, in a statement on November 14, outlined what they see as basic preconditions for free and fair elections.The parties want to see Imedi and Kavkasia TV stations back on air, have the composition of election administrations at all three levels decided on a parity basis and the end of what they describe as …
President Tells Doctors of Difficult Decision to Use Force
President Saakashvili said it was ?unpleasant? and ?difficult? for him to order the dispersal of demonstrators on November 7, but it was necessary in order to prevent the country returning ?to the chaos and civil confrontation? of the early 1990s. The president was speaking at a meeting with a group of doctors on November 14. It …
14/11/2007 - 23:01
Presidential Pardon for 1,000 Prisoners
President Saakashvili announced on November 14 a presidential pardon for, as he put it, ?petty criminals.? Nika Gvaramia, the deputy chief prosecutor, later on the same day said the pardon would affect 1,000 inmates. He also revealed that 2,000 other inmates would have their terms halved or decreased somewhat. The move comes less than four months after Saakashvili …
Court Order for Okruashvili’s Detention
Following a Prosecutor?s Office request, a court in Tbilisi ruled on November 14 that ex-Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili be returned to police custody pending investigation.Okruashvili was released on GEL 10 million bail on October 9 and is now, reportedly, in Germany. His lawyer, Eka Beselia, has claimed the court order is in retaliation for a televised speech Okruashvili …
Russian, Abkhaz Ministers Meet
Grigory Karasin, the Russian deputy foreign minister, met with Sergey Shamba, the foreign minister of breakaway Abkhazia, in Moscow on November 14. ?The Georgian-Abkhaz conflict resolution process was discussed in the context of the current internal political situation in Georgia,? the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a press release. ?The Russian side has reaffirmed that only a peaceful …
Burjanadze Meets Imedi TV Journalists
A group of Imedi TV journalists and producers met with Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze on November 14. ?We have not received any concrete date from [Nino Burjanadze] as to when Imedi TV will be able to resume broadcasting,? Levan Vepkhvadze, a producer at the station, told reporters after the meeting. Tbilisi City Court has suspended Imedi …
Court Suspends Imedi TV Broadcast License
Imedi TV was providing extensive coverage of the recent protest rallies in Tbilisi. Photo: Civil.Ge/Anano Asatiani. Tbilisi City Court has suspended Imedi TV’s broadcast license, claiming that the station’s coverage of the November 7 unrest amounted to incitement to overthrow the government. The court also ruled that the station’s assets be frozen. The court, in justification for its ruling, cited Imedi TV’s decision …
Imedi TV Broadcast License Suspended
Imedi TV has had its broadcast license suspended and its assets frozen, Bidzina Baratashvili, the Imedi TV managing director, told Civil.Ge on November 14. ?An official notification, which is a ruling of the Tbilisi City Court, was handed over to me late last night,? he said. ?The document is dated with November 7; an investigator, however, told …
Public Defender Condemns ‘Persecution of Protesters’
Law enforcement agencies should immediately stop “persecution and terrorizing” of political party activists and ordinary citizens participating in the recent anti-governmental demonstrations, Sozar Subari, the Public Defender, said in a statement on January 13. The statement says that the Public Defender’s office has studied “numerous cases, involving facts of persecution” of these persons. The authorities …
Georgia to Lift Emergency Rule on November 16 ? Burjanadze
Georgia will lift state of emergency and ?we will return back to normal life? on November 16, Nino Burjanadze, the parliamentary speaker, said in a televised statement aired by the Georgian Public Broadcaster.?This is important information for the international community and our society,? she said. ?I hope after the state of emergency is lifted the …
Georgian PM Visits Turkey
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli left for Turkey on November 14, the PM?s press office reported. During a one-day working visit Nogaideli will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyeep Erdo?an, President Abdullah Gul and Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan. The Georgian Prime Minister will also participate in a roundtable ?Doing Business ? Turkey-Georgia? organized by the …
U.S. Tries to Rekindle Flickering ‘Beacon of Democracy’
The United States is confident that Georgia will move “in the right direction” and will restore democratic momentum with and after the early presidential polls, a senior U.S. diplomat said on November 13.Speaking at a news conference in Tbilisi after a series of talks with the Georgian leadership and the opposition, Mathew Bryza, the U.S. Deputy Assistant …
13/11/2007 - 23:54
Saakashvili’s U.S. Visit Unclear
President Saakashvili’s visit to the United States planned for December may be canceled due to upcoming early presidential polls scheduled for January 5, Mathew Bryza, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, has suggested. When asked by a journalist from the Russian NTV television whether this visit would be a …
‘Abkhazia’s Recognition by Russia would Amount to War’ – Senior MP
The recognition of Abkhazia by Russia would amount to declaration of war against Georgia and “we will accept this challenge,” an influential lawmaker Givi Targamadze, who chairs the parliament’s defense and security committee, said on November 13. Remarks were made in a response to the Georgian authorities’ reports that Russia has deployed additional armament and …
Russia Hands Over Batumi Military Base to Georgia
12th Russian military base in Batumi was officially handed over to Georgia on November 13, ahead of planned schedule. Originally the process was planned to be completed in a course of 2008, according to the agreement reached between Georgia and Russia in 2005. A document on hand over of the base was signed by Batu …
IMF: Georgia Inflation over 11%
Twelve-month inflation was 11.2% as of the end of October and “it will be difficult to keep inflation in single digits for 2007 as a whole,” the International Monetary Fund said on November 13. “While the rises in certain international commodity prices (including oil and food) have contributed to inflationary pressure in Georgia, the very …
GEL 20 Million Planned for Snap Polls
The government plans to allocate about GEL 20 million to organize early presidential elections and a plebiscite on the timing of parliamentary polls, Nika Gilauri, the finance minister, said on November 13. ?Currently it is being calculated exactly how much the Central Election Commission [CEC] will need to organize elections. We think, it will apparently be …
Georgia will Lift Emergency Rule in Three Days ? U.S. Diplomat
The Georgian authorities will lift the state of emergency in the next two or three days, Matthew Bryza, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, said on November 13. ?I know from my conversation just now with the Speaker of Parliament [Nino Burjanadze], that it sounds like [the] state of …
In Quotes: Pundits on Opposition Presidential Candidate
The decision by nine opposition parties to nominate an independent lawmaker, Levan Gachechiladze, has come as a surprise to most commentators, with one of them thinking that the opposition’s main hope is to reach the second round of polls. Ia Antadze, a journalist and independent commentator:It was clear from the very beginning that it would have been difficult …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
Watchdog Groups Lay Out Terms for Free Elections
Three watchdog organizations have outlined what they consider to be ten pre-conditions for holding a free and fair presidential election and a plebiscite on when to hold parliamentary elections. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA); Transparency International – Georgia and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) deem the following to be necessary: the state of …
Saakashvili Praises Burjanadze’s ‘Decisiveness’
President Saakashvili said on November 12 that despite Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze’s natural inclination towards caution and compromise in solving problems, she had supported “the most decisive measures” during the recent unrest in Tbilisi. “Nino Burjanadze, the parliamentary chairperson, has always been more flexible, more cautious and suspicious of various issues and always demanded a softer approach in carrying out …
Opposition Complains of Unequal Campaign Ahead of Snap Polls
Opposition politicians have complained that President Saakashvili was using the state of emergency for his own political advantage in the run-up to the presidential polls due on January 5. “With the elections less than two months away, we still have the state of emergency and the media remains restricted; the Georgian Public Broadcaster [the only television station allowed …
‘Putin Threatened Cyprus Model on Georgia’ – Saakashvili
President Saakashvili said on November 12 that last year his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had personally threatened to impose, what he called, “the Cyprus model” on Georgia and split the country in two. President Saakashvili recalled his conversation with Putin on the sidelines of the CIS summit in Minsk last November during a meeting with teachers, which was broadcast …
Ruling Party, Opposition End Second Round of Talks
?Progress? has been made in the second round of talks on November 12 between the opposition and government on issues relating to the election code. The opposition, however, said some urgent problems still remain to be resolved. Talks were held between five opposition parties – Georgia?s Way, Conservative, Republican, New Rights and Industrialists ? and the ruling …
12/11/2007 - 23:32
Senior MP: State of Emergency to be Lifted in ‘Two, Three Days’
MP Maia Nadiradze, the parliamentary majority leader, said the state of emergency would be lifted ?soon, in two or three days.? She was speaking with journalists after talks with opposition leaders late on November 12.Davit Usupashvili, leader of the opposition Republican Party, said: ?We have been hearing that the state of emergency would be lifted in a …
Burjanadze: Georgia will not Yield to Russian Provocation
Georgia will not yield to Russian provocations, but will stand firm in defending its interests, Nino Burjanadze, the parliamentary speaker, said on November 12. Her remarks followed an earlier Georgian allegation that Russia had deployed additional troops and military hardware in Abkhazia. Five T-72 battle tanks; five GRAD-type multiple rocket launchers; five armored vehicles and seven howitzers, as …
Opposition Coalition Names Presidential Candidate
Levan Gachechiladze. November 12, Tbilisi. Photo: Guram Muradov/Civil.Ge Levan Gachechiladze, a 43-year-old independent lawmaker, has been nominated by nine opposition parties as an agreed candidate for the January 5 snap presidential elections. Salome Zourabichvili, former Georgian foreign minister and leader of Georgia’s Way Party, has been selected by the opposition bloc to be the prime minister …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
Opposition Names Gachechiladze to Run for President
Levan Gachechiladze, an opposition lawmaker with no party affiliation, has been nominated by nine opposition parties as their candidate for the early presidential elections, expected for January 5. The candidate will be supported by the Republican Party; Conservative Party; Georgia?s Way; Freedom; On Our Own; Party of People; Movement for United Georgia and National Forum.Opposition …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
Georgia Claims Russia Increases Military Presence in Abkhazia
Russia has deployed additional military hardware and at least 200 more soldiers, mainly ethnic Chechens, in Abkhazia, Davit Bakradze, the Georgian state minister for conflict resolution issues, said on November 12.He said five T-72 battle tanks; five GRAD-type multiple rocket launchers; five armored vehicles and seven howitzers were deployed in Ochamchire. ?This is a step directly …
Opposition Prioritizes Imedi TV at Talks with Authorities
Opposition leaders, who are expected to meet with senior ruling party officials later today, have said that Imedi TV and, what they call, “political repression” will be their priorities during the talks. “Imedi TV and political repression will top our agenda,” Davit Usupashvili, leader of the opposition Republic Party told Civil.Ge on November 12. “We demand concrete …
Restore Democratic Momentum ? U.S. Official
The momentum of democratic developments in Georgia should be restored immediately, Matthew Bryza, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, said on November 12 in Tbilisi. Earlier today he met seperately with opposition leaders and Prime Minster Zurab Nogaideli and is due to meet with President Saakashvili as well. ?Today what makes …
Patarkatsishvili Seeks Return of Assets in Tbilisi Park
Lynx Ltd, a company wholly owned by business tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, will challenge the Tbilisi municipality’s decision to cancel a 49-year leasing contract with the company on the operation of the Mtatsminda amusement park in Tbilisi. Giorgi Akhvlediani, vice-mayor of the capital, said on November 7 that the company had ?violated numerous times? the terms of the contract …
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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)