State Offers to Pay Opposition TV’s Lease

Giorgi Arveladze, the economy minister, said on August 14 the government was willing to cover the cost of leasing office space for Tbilisi-based television station, Kavkasia, for six months.

Kavkasia TV, an outspoken critic of the government, stopped broadcasting on August 10 after it was evicted from a state-owned building which is to be sold on auction.

At least 90 other small businesses, as well as several newspapers which rented office space in the building were also evicted. The government announced its plans to sell the building last year.

The eviction prompted opposition allegations that the government was intent on silencing a small, independent TV station.

?We are ready to pay the television station?s rent for office space from the presidential fund,? Arveladze said at a news conference on August 14.

He said it was ?an unusual decision,” because the state was not responsible for providing any financial assistance to any media outlet.

He also said that the decision was taken personally by President Saakashvili. He stressed that the offer did not mean that the government wanted to influence the TV station?s editorial policy. ?Simply it is our priority to promote the freedom of press,? he said.

Kavkasia TV?s position on the matter is still unclear.

?We will announce our response tomorrow,? Nino Jangirashvili, a co-owner and editor-in-chief of Kavkasia TV, told Civil.Ge on August 14.

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