The Daily Beat: 10 September
The ruling Georgian Dream party unveiled the first twenty MP candidates of its party list for the October elections, presenting a lineup headed by the party’s billionaire founder and filled with incumbent MPs and officials as well as some fresh faces and Olympic champions. Bidzina Ivanishvili tops the list, followed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papauashvili.
In an interview with the French Newspaper Le Figaro, President Salome Zurabishvili signaled her readiness to “take on great responsibility” and run for a second presidential term. She spoke of the upcoming elections, its importance, and expected outcome, saying that the ruling party “will get no more than 25%.” “Georgia is facing an existential choice – to follow its European destiny with the parliamentary elections on October 26, or to return to the service of Russia…,” President Zurabishvili told Le Figaro.
In a letter addressed to Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty urged the Georgian parliament to drop the anti-LGBT legislation and to “refrain from using rhetoric that stigmatizes LGBTI people.” The commissioner also calls on the Georgian authorities to “engage with national and international partners, including the Council of Europe, on how to best protect the human rights of LGBTI people.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new American Corner in Batumi, U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan said that a lot of disinformation is being spread in Georgia about Western assistance and gave concrete examples of the good foreign assistance brings to the country. The Ambassador pointed out that in the past two days, the U.S. Embassy conducted four projects to help the local population and support people with disabilities.
On September 10, the Defense Ministers of Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan held a Defense Ministerial meeting in Batumi, Western Georgia. Within the framework of the Ministerial, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani held bilateral meetings with the Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, Zakir Hasanov, and the National Defense Minister of Turkey, Yaşar Güler.
The head of the National Seismic Monitoring Center of Ilia State University, Tea Godoladze claims that the U.S. has suspended funding of the Center. “The U.S. suspended funding the National Seismic Monitoring Center. After the Lugar Research Center, we expected that it would be inevitable,” Tea Godoladze posted on her Facebook page.
Local online media outlets reported that one of the biggest Russian online retail platforms “Ozon” has started operating in Georgia. “Georgia has become the seventh country outside the Russian Federation where the company is developing a marketplace,” says a press release published on the official website of the company. Commenting on the matter, Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze said that any foreign business, including Russian, is welcome to operate in Georgia.
