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Georgian Defense Minister Attends U.S.-led Coalition Forces Summit
Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze will participate in a meeting of the Defense Ministers from 16 countries which are the members of the U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition forces. Baramidze departed from Tbilisi on October 8. According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, the meeting will take place on board the U.S. aircraft John F. Kennedy in the Persian Gulf. Baramidze …
08/10/2004 - 11:56
Georgian-Russian Relations Debated at PACE
Photo from the PACE web-site.The Georgian delegation pushed forward its vision of Russia as an inhibiting factor in South Caucasus at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on October 7. The Kremlin was accused of double standards when dealing with its internal (Chechnya) and external (Abkhazia, South Ossetia) problems. In response, the Russian delegation assumed …
07/10/2004 - 22:32
Defense Minister, Russian Military Officials Discuss South Ossetia
On October 7 Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze met with Valery Yevnevich, Deputy Commander of the Russian Land Forces, and Maj.Gen. Murat Kulakhmetov, new commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Force deployed in the South Ossetian conflict area. The Georgian Defense Minister said after the talks that the issues of safe movement of the population in the …
Russian-Georgian Border Remains Closed
On October 7 the Georgian Customs Department denied reports that the Russian side reopened its border with Georgia at the Larsi checkpoint, which has been closed since the hostage-taking tragedy in Beslan early last month. Georgian and Russian media sources reported that the border was scheduled to be opened for couple of hours and only for those trucks moving from …
Khajimba Challenges Gali Re-Vote
Pro-government presidential candidate Raul Khajimba said on October 7, that he has appealed the Supreme Court of the unrecognized Abkhazian Republic against the Central Election Commission (CEC) decision to appoint a re-vote in the Gali district. ?This decision completely contradicts the election code of Abkhazia and has no legal ground,? RIA Novosti reported quoting Raul Khajimba as …
Oil Company Donates Fuel to MoD
CanArgo Energy Corporation donated fuel worth 100,000 Lari (around USD 55,000) to the Georgian Ministry of Defense (MoD) on October 7. Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze held talks with David Robson, the Chief Executive Officer of CanArgo following this donation. ?The initiative comes from the company itself and we are really grateful for this,? Giorgi Baramidze …
NATO Delegation Visits Georgia
A group of NATO experts are visiting Georgia until October 11 in order to discuss the country?s Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), which is designed to pull Georgia closer to the alliance in military and political terms, with the Georgian leadership. The document was submitted to the NATO by President Saakashvili during his visit to Brussels in April. …
Norwegian Foreign Minister Visits Georgia
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson will pay an official two-day visit to Georgia on October 7-8. The Minister is planning to hold talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, as well as with U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Richard Miles and the Ambassadors of the European Union member states to …
Deputy Chief of Russian Land Forces Visits Georgia
Valery Yevnevich, Deputy Commander of the Russian Land Forces, who is paying a visit to Georgia, will meet Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze on October 7. The situation in South Ossetian conflict zone and activities of the joint ? Russian-Georgian-Ossetian ? peacekeeping troops stationed in the region will be discussed. Valery Yevnevich is also expected to …
PACE to Debate Russian-Georgian Relations
Debates over the current relationship between Russia and Georgia will be held at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on October 7. The Georgian side is seeking the appointment of a PACE special rapporteur to analyze the issue of Russo-Georgian relations. Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze left on October 6 for Strasbourg to …
Ardzinba Warns of Civil War
Outgoing Abkhaz de facto President Vladislav Ardzinba issued a statement on October 6 urging the Abkhaz population to maintain calmness and stability in the region. He also criticized the Abkhaz Central Election Commission?s (CEC) decision to appoint a re-vote in the Gali district. Ardzinba said that the decision was taken by the CEC under pressure from the supporters …
Russian Official Appointed as Abkhazia’s New PM
On October 6 outgoing President of the unrecognized Abkhazian Republic Vladislav Ardzinba appointed Nodar Khashba as the breakaway region’s new Prime Minister. Before this appointment Khashba worked as the deputy chief of the investment department at the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations. Raul Khajimba previously held the Prime Minister position but stepped down after he entered the presidential race last …
Foreign Minister, MPs at Odds over Georgia’s UN Membership Fee
On October 6 Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, who was summoned by the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Relations, informed MPs regarding the issue of Georgia’s UN membership fee arrears, which led Georgia being stripping of its right to vote at the organization. The Georgian Foreign Minister told the MPs that the government has partially repaid its international debt, …
06/10/2004 - 18:25
Criminal Suspects Rounded-up in Samegrelo
A group of 19 criminal suspects were arrested as a result of an operation in the western Georgian region of Samegrelo early on October 6, reported the Interior Ministry. Newly appointed Governor of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region Gigi Ugulava, who previously held the position of Deputy Security Minister, said at a news briefing on October 6 …
Georgian Populated Gali Holds the Key to Abkhazia Presidential Elections
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of the unrecognized Abkhazian Republic yielded to the opposition presidential candidate Sergey Bagapsh’s request and approved a re-vote in the Gali district, scheduled for October 17, after the CEC rendered election results in all three precincts in the Gali district invalid.The Central Election Commission (CEC) of the unrecognized Abkhaz Republic …
Abkhaz CEC Agrees on Re-vote in Gali
The members of the Abkhaz Central Election Commission (CEC) agreed to render the election results in all three precincts of Gali district invalid. A re-vote has been scheduled for October 17. Thus, the CEC yielded to the opposition candidate Sergey Bagapsh, who, according to the latest data, leads the polls. Bagapsh argued that there were no violations …
Attempt to Defuse Tension in Abkhazia Fails
The information agency Regnum quoted the head of Abkhazia’s presidential administration Roin Agrba as saying that an attempt to defuse post-election tensions in Abkhazia have “practically failed.”Incumbent President of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba held a two-hour meeting with presidential candidates Raul Khajimba and Sergey Bagapsh, both of whom claim victory in the October 3 presidential elections. According to Agrba, …
Bagapsh Offers Repeat Elections in Gali
Frontrunner Abkhaz opposition presidential candidate Sergey Bagapsh said, while addressing his supporters in Sokhumi, that he agrees to hold repeat elections in the Gali District, following allegations by his opponent Raul Khajimba that elections in the Gali District were rigged in favor of Bagapsh. ?I say lets hold repeat elections only in the Gali District with the participation of …
JCC Focused on Security Issues in South Ossetian Conflict Zone
JCC co-chairs during meeting in Tbilisi in August. A meeting of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), involving Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and North Ossetian representatives, which was held in Moscow on September 30-October 2, agreed on measures aiming at increasing security in the conflict zone in breakaway South Ossetia.The sides signed a protocol, which …
Georgian Speaker Leaves for Strasbourg to Debate at PACE
Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze left on October 6 for Strasbourg to attend a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). On October 7 debates over the current relations between Georgia and Russia are scheduled to take place at PACE. Nino Burjanadze will address the session during these debates. ?We will inform …
MPs Concerned over Possible Downsizing of OSCE Border Monitoring
Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze told reporters on October 5 that she was informed by OSCE officials that the organization is cutting its budget for the OSCE Mission to Georgia next year, which will lead to a reduction of the organization?s activity in the country. ?It will mainly concern the OSCE Border Monitoring Operation. The news …
CEC: Bagapsh Leads in Polls
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of the unrecognized Abkhaz Republic announced late on October 5 that it has counted votes cast in all election districts except Gali. According to this data, the opposition candidate Sergey Bagapsh garnered 45.7% of the votes while Raul Khajimba, whose candidacy is backed by both outgoing Abkhaz leader Vladislav Ardzinba and the …
Outgoing Abkhaz Leader to Meet with Presidential Candidates
Outgoing President of the unrecognized Abkhazian Republic Vladislav Ardzinba will meet the chief of the Central Election Commission and the presidential candidates on October 6, following growing tensions in the breakaway region in the wake of the presidential elections, which were held on Sunday. The election commission delayed the announcement of the election results, which triggered a …
Bagapsh: ?I am Pro-Russian?
In an interview to RIA Novosti news agency, the main opposition contender in the Abkhazia presidential elections, Sergey Bagapsh, said that in the event that he becomes the new President of Abkhazia, Abkhazia?s ?movement in the direction of Russia will increase further.? ?We are considered to be pro-Georgian, but we are pro-Russian,? Bagapsh said. Official results of the October …
05/10/2004 - 18:01
Regional Heads Arrested in Adjara
Police arrested the Heads of the Shuakhevi and Khulo districts in Adjara Autonomous Republic on October 5, for alleged misuse of power. ?Otar Tsetskhladze [the Head of Khulo district] and Nodar Kartsivadze [the Head of Shuakhevi district] are suspected to have links with illegal wood-cutting operations in Adjara,? Giorgi Papuashvili, the chief of the Autonomous Republic?s …
Bagapsh Claims Victory in Abkhazia
The main opposition contender in the Abkhazia presidential elections, Sergey Bagapsh, has claimed a victory. According to Abkhazia’s “Nuzhnaya Gazeta” daily, Bagapsh argues that he recieved 51.1% of the votes, while the current prime minister Raul Khajimba just 32.8%. The data is reportedly based on protocols available to Bagapsh’s electoral headquarters from the district election commissions. Bagapsh slammed Khajimba’s calls …
Khajimba Wants to Annul Election Results
Raul Khajimba, one of the leading presidential candidates during the Abkhaz elections, demanded to annul presidential election results on October 5, citing widespread procedural violations during the Sunday polls, Russian news agencies reported. ?We have submitted enough cases of violations reported by the observers to the prosecutor?s office and court,? Itar-Tass news agency quoted Khajimba as saying. He …
Leader of Abkhaz Diaspora Provides Some Insight in Abkhazia Politics
Q&A with Dr. Yanal KazanThe fact that the results of the first ever contested presidential elections in breakaway Abkhazia are not announced even two days after Sunday’s polls triggers anxiety over the future developments in the unrecognized republic. On October 4 Civil Georgia interviewed Dr. Yanal Kazan, President of Abkhaz Alliance in the Diaspora, regarding …
U.S. Reiterates Support to Georgia’s Territorial Integrity
The U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli said at a news briefing on October 4, that the United States does not recognize Abkhazia as an independent state, “so I don’t really have any comment on these elections” which were held in the breakaway region on October 3 to elect the unrecognized republic’s new President. …
Russian MFA: Abkhazia Elections were Democratic
In a statement issued on October 4, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the presidential elections held in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia as ?calm? and ?democratic.? Russian news agencies reported that the Foreign Ministry expresses hope that the elections will foster both the Georgian and Abkhazian sides to continue peacefull talks over conflict resolution.?According to information coming [from Abkhazia,] …
04/10/2004 - 21:52
OSCE Condemns Elections in Breakaway Abkhazia
In a statement issued on October 4 the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy expressed his concern about the holding of presidential elections on October 3 in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhaz region. He said that the OSCE supports the territorial integrity of Georgia and does not recognize the independence of Abkhazia nor the elections held …
Khajimba: Abkhazia Polls ‘Unfair’
One of the frontrunning presidential candidates, Raul Khajimba, said on October 4 that the elections in Abkhazia were marred with widespread violations. “Violations that took place yesterday prove that the elections were unfair and unjust,” RIA Novosti news agency quoted Raul Khajimba as saying at a rally held in the separatist region’s capital Sokhumi on October …
MPs Propose to Develop Georgia’s Security Concept
The Georgian parliamentary bureau decided on October 4 to adopt a decree at a parliamentary session which will instruct the National Security Council to develop a national security doctrine for Georgia. The proposal was initiated by Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security MP Nika Rurua, who said that the country needs a document …
Georgian Foreign Minister Speaks on Tbilisi-Moscow Ties
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said in a interview with the Russian newspaper Novie Izvestia that Russo-Georgian relations are far from normal; but added that a new stage of relations was launched between Russia and Georgia at the CIS Summit in Astana, the Kazakh capital, on September 15-16. ?There are no sings of warming up [of relations …
Conflicting Reports Add Confusion to Abkhazia Elections
Controversial reports on the results of October 3 presidential elections in the unrecognized Abkhazian Republic triggered confusion over the outcome of the polls, which are not recognized internationally.The Abkhazian Central Election Commission (CEC) has surprisingly announced that all previous reports that went through the newswires regarding the preliminary results of the October 3 presidential elections …
Controversy Persists over Abkhazia Election Results
The Abkhazian Central Election Commission (CEC) has surprisingly announced that all previous reports that went through the newswires regarding the preliminary results of the October 3 presidential elections are not valid. The chief of the Abkhaz CEC Sergey Smir told reporters in Sokhumi that the early results of the polls will be known only by the evening of …
Georgia Pushes Debates over Tbilisi-Moscow Relations at PACE
Following a request by a Georgian delegation, the bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) included discussions over the Russo-Georgian relations on the agenda of the PACE session, which opens in Strasbourg on October 4. If the PACE session approves the proposed agenda, debates over Russo-Georgian relations will take place on October 7. …
Russian Peacekeeper Found Dead in Abkhazia Conflict Zone
According to Georgian media reports the body of a Russian peacekeeper was found early on October 4 on the outskirts of Zugdidi, a Georgian town on the administrative border with breakaway Abkhazia. Rustavi 2 television and the news agency Interpress reported that the Russian peacekeeper, who served in the CIS peacekeeping troops deployed in the Abkhazian conflict zone, …
Abkhaz Opposition Protests Results, Calls for Recount
News agencies working in Abkhazia described the current situation in the Abkhaz capital Sukhumi as “tense.” The opposition is protesting the election results announced by Abkhaz Central Election Commission (CEC) which awarded victory to the pro-government candidate, who gathered 52.84% of the votes cast. Observers comment that the numbers posted by the CEC are rather controversial. The total …
CEC: Khajimba Wins Presidency in Breakaway Abkhazia
Raul Khajimba (left) became the front-running presidential candidate following his face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the official results of the Abkhazian presidential elections, Raul Khajimba, former Abkhaz Prime Minister and favorite candidate of outgoing Abkhaz leader Vladislav Ardzinba who also enjoys the support of Russia, garnered 52.8% of the total votes to …
Khajimba Elected President – Abkhaz CEC
Abkhazia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Raul Khajimba has won the presidential elections. According to the CEC, Khajimba received 101,500 votes (52.84%), Sergey Bagapsh – 64,500 (33.58%), Sergey Shamba 19,050 (9.92%), Jakub Lakoba 5,259 (2.73%) and Anri Jergenia 1,800 (0.94%). Sergey Bagapsh, the main opposition candidate, is likely to challenge the validity of these results. This post …
Only One-Fourth of Georgians Residing in Abkhazia Allowed to Vote
According to the administration of Abkhazia’s Gali district, only 15 thousand out of 60 thousand Georgian residents in the district were allowed to vote in Abkhazia’s presidential elections on October 3. Nezavisimaya Gazeta quotes Abkhaz officials as saying that the rest of residents were not officially registered in Abkhazia. Thousands of Georgian displaced persons have spontaneously …
Georgian State Minister Speaks about Abkhazia Election Results
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava said on October 4 that ?there are some tensions? in Abkhazia following the elections; however he could not confirm the Georgian media?s reports over clashes between the supporters of the two main presidential candidates. According to the early results of Abkhazia?s Central Election Commission (CEC) Raul Khajimba leads …
Khajimba Leads in Abkhazia Polls
According to the early results of the Abkhazia?s Central Election Commission (CEC) Raul Khajimba leads in the presidential race with 52.8% of the votes, Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress reported on October 4. Khajimba?s main contender from the opposition Sergei Bagapsh received 33.5% of the votes. If these results are confirmed as final, no run-off will be …
Abkhaz CEC: Elections Valid
Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the unrecognized Abkhazian Republic said that more than 50% of voters cast a ballot during the October 3 presidential elections in the breakaway region. Hence the elections can be considered as valid, chief of the CEC Sergei Smir added at a news briefing in the capital, Sokhumi. He …
03/10/2004 - 19:55
Saakashvili: Abkhazian Elections Illegitimate
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili condemned the ongoing presidential elections in the unrecognized Abkhazian Republic as illegitimate, saying that hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons from Abkhazia are deprived of their right to cast a ballot. ?I don?t think anybody in the world can accept the situation of ethnic cleansing, when people were forced out of …
Top Security Officials Inspect Border with Russia
Following an operation by Georgian security, defense and border guard forces at the Chechen, Ingush and Daghestani sections of the Georgian-Russian borders, top Georgian security and defense officials, accompanied by representatives from the OSCE Mission to Georgia and the U.S. embassy, toured the border areas on October 3. Details of the operation were not unveiled; however officials say that it was …
Breakaway Abkhazia Goes to the Polls
Polling stations were opened throughout Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia at 8 am local time in order to elect a new President of the unrecognized republic on October 3. Elections are not recognized internationally. Reports say that elections are underway in a calm atmosphere. No disorders or tensions have been reported so far. Five candidates are contesting for the region’s …
Abkhazia Reinforces Administrative Borders
Acting Prime Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Astamur Tarba said on October 2 that the situation in the region is calm on the eve of the October 3 presidential elections. “No additional forces have been mobilized for security measures. Only the border with Georgia has been reinforced,” Astamur Tarba told RIA Novosti news agency. The administrative …
02/10/2004 - 20:24
Tbilisi Warns about Destabilization in Abkhazia on Elections Day
Newly appointed Chairman of the Tbilisi-based Abkhazian government-in-exile Irakli Alasania said on October 2 that supporters of Abkhaz presidential candidates may provoke tensions in the predominately Georgian population in the Gali district of breakaway Abkhazia and then accuse the Georgian side of organizing destabilization actions there. “We want to declare openly that the Georgian authorities do not intend …
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