President, Salome Zurabishvi was visibly irked after being hassled by a small crowd at her residence, pressuring her not to pardon the ailing ex-President, Mikheil Saakashvili. Zurabishvili gave an impromptu press briefing, taking a swipe at the “Georgian Dream” for orchestrating pressure, distancing the country from Europe, and – together with the main opposition UNM – keeping the country mired in the Saakashvili controversy. While her words resonated with many Georgians, she stopped short of mentioning Bidzina Ivanishvili, the GD patron. Neither did nor spoke clearly about Saakashvili’s pardon – but had not rejected it out of hand, like before.
Don’t miss a beat!
President Zurabishvili applied the law and nominated candidates for the head and two other members of the Central Election Commission (CEC), after the majority in Parliament rejected her previous submissions. Notably, the new candidates to head the CEC visibly lack experience in management or election administration.
Former PM Giorgi Gakharia told his fellow opposition party members that country’s future is being held hostage by two rival men – Mikheil Saakashvili and Bidzina Ivanishvili. Gakharia has been doing rounds recently after prolonged disappearance from the scene. Today’s remarks echoed those of President Zurabishvili.
A doctor faces a prison sentence after being charged with manslaughter in the case of Georgia’s first COVID-vaccine casualty in March 2021. Megi Bakradze, the 27-year-old nurse, died of an anaphylactic shock vaccination. The prosecution said the doctor failed to come to her aid after Bakradze developed allergic symptoms. Two other medical staff were also charged with giving false testimony.
Confused reactions after a Protestant clergyman discovers a brick smashed through the windshield of the car, parked in his driveway. Apparently, this is not the first incident of this kind involving protestant religious figures. While they refrain from blaming religious intolerance as a motive, Evangelist Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze said the lack of effective police investigation to date breeds negative expectations.
