Press Digest 18.09.2014

Tengiz Pkhaladze: why on earth does Mr. Margvelashvili need to create his own party when he and the members of our Government represent one and the same team?

“Russians have gotten hold of nut business too … we are forced to live a dog’s life and keep silent…”

We must hold the Government accountable because of the fact that the Nationals are still monitoring our private conversations – Nana Kakabadze

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Tengiz Pkhaladze: why on earth does Mr. Margvelashvili need to create his own party when he and the members of our Government represent one and the same team?

“The document which is in our hands today has been promulgated under the signature of the UN Gen Secretary. An invitation is on behalf of President Margvelashvili. As for the allegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that the addressee of this letter first was Mikheil Saakashvili, it can ring true. Anyway, we have no pretence to impugn their integrity. However, whether this way or that, one thing is clear – it’s extremely bad that former President’s name was in their database for 4 month after Power changed hands in Georgia. Anyway, the fact that the UNO Gen Secretary wanted to invite the President is irrefutable,” states the President’s counselor for foreign relations, Tengiz Pkhaladze in his interview with the Rezonansi gazette.

“For further details you must address the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am on top of the situation. Simply the letter which is dated February 25 and which is signed by the UNO General Secretary is on behalf of Giorgi Margvelashvili. Once again I repeat, no one is infallible but the letter clearly shows that the UNO General Secretary invited Georgia’s President at the assembly. They could obviously have passed the aforementioned information on to the President’s Administration much earlier than 6 months. The President openly declared that his visit to the US was disrupted; however, here I want to emphasize that he has not incriminated anyone. We have abstained from issuing any farther details regarding this matter because of Georgia’s interests. Some issues must be discussed behind the closed doors, and I hope we will do the same in terms of this matter,” announced Mr. Pkhaladze.

“As for our meeting with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, all the institutes have been fully in the loop on this issue. My colleague and the President’s advisor on economic issues, Giorgi Abramishvili, has touched upon this matter. He has also held consultations with some state agencies. Thus, we don’t need to keep information regarding this subject in secret. Within this visit, the President was to talk regarding our country,” maintains the President’s advisor.

“As per our constitution, President is an official representative of the country on the international arena. One of his key responsibilities is to make the entire world see the country in a good light, and the President obviously gives a great significance to this issue. This function does not oblige the President to hold negotiations or sign them, which is why he does not need to hold consultations with the Parliament before going abroad. Precisely for this reason, Mr. Margvelashvili intended to visit the US without agreeing on the issue with the legislative body beforehand,” states the respondent.

“I cannot talk regarding the President’s personal relations with our ministers; however, I can say for certain that the President’s Administration is open; we have declared this publicly several times… According to the constitution, the President cannot belong to this or that party… Our President each and every step is in line with our constitution and the reports regarding his intention to form his own party are really preposterous. Why on earth does Mr. Margvelashvili need to create his own party when he and the members of our Government represent one and the same team?” asks the respondent.

“Russians have gotten hold of nut business too … we are forced to live a dog’s life and keep silent…”

"Nut has been harvested in the regions. The locals are now getting ready to sell it. They have not really to complain regarding their nut harvest; as for its price, this year the price of nut has really broken a record – market price of 1 kg nut is 7 GEL this year. As for Gali, supply of nut is abundant here too; but thanks to the Russian military, the Abkhazian separatists have forced the locals to cheaply sell it – 1 kg nut here costs only 5 laris,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“The locals of Gali are banned form exporting their nut harvest. Some restrictions were in force earlier too but the farmers still managed to sell nut in the region of Zugdidi in the past. As the locals claim, the Russian military have installed surveillance cams at the border crossing point, and everything here is under their full control. In the region of Gali and Ochamchire, the Turanbas’ clan has reportedly gotten hold of nut business. Last year, Turanba who was the Gali region police chief built a modern factory and provided it with hi-tech equipment,” says the article.

“I have already lost several hundred laris due to the fact that I had been denied the right to sell my nut harvest in Zugdidi. The Russian military have forbidden us to export our nut harvest. They force us to sell it cheaply to them; in the wake of this, these people make big cash as later they sell the purchased nut in Russia in a rather lucrative price. As a result of this, along with the locals, some Abkhazians who run this business with their Georgia partners have sustained losses too. Despite this, they hold back from openly expressing their dissatisfaction and keep silent. We are stuck in a stalemate – they have deprived us our only means of subsistence…, “states one of the locals of Gali, Goga Kortua.

We must hold the Government accountable because of the fact that the Nationals are still monitoring our private conversations – Nana Kakabadze

“The Nationals have kept monitoring our private phone conversations thus far; likewise, they have controlled the ongoing political processes in Georgia. Has the Government adopted any effective measure to put an end to the criminal acts in our country? Has Vano Merabishvili’s and Bacho Akhalaia’s incarceration yielded any productive result? Have by doing this, they lowered a crime rate? What has stopped them from evaluating the corrupt regime? All statements from the PM are futile. He is obliged to assume the responsibility to cure the ills of our country. Why they allow the Nationals to monitor our private conversations? Why they can enjoy the possibility of hatching corrupt schemes?” asks Human Right Protector, Nana Kakabadze in his interview with the Akhalia Taoba gazette.

“Why have the acting authorities refused to undertake the responsibility of righting the wrongs in our country by bringing this messy situation to an end? They stubbornly pin blame on the National Movement as if they are not at helm of the country today. Were not they obliged to bring the criminals to light? Were not they obliged to give them their due? If they are aware of the fact that the National Movement has not dropped the practice of monitoring the people’s private phone conversation is not it’s the Government’s responsibility to punish them? The Prosecutor’s Office must institute legal proceedings against them and dig up as much evidence proving their guilt as possible,” asserts Ms. Kakabadze.

“The Prime Minister is not a representative of this or that NGO; neither is he a journalist to release statements like this. He is responsible to subject those people who have broken law to legal proceedings. If they cannot do this, if they cannot bridle the criminals, than they must bow out from their posts and let those come in power who will be able to fulfill their entrusted duties. Not only the active authorities must claim credit because of the fact that in our day-to-day Georgia, the people are not deprived of their property or tortured every now and again, we must give credit to the Georgian people for this too,” claims the respondent.

“The National Movement is an extremely dangerous force. And this force will be the country’s excruciating headache until the law stops them. The Parliament and the Government must remove this profligate power from Georgia’s political arena; why are not they doing this? This issue has remained a mystery so far,” declares the respondent and to the question “has the political will to uproot this force has not emerged thus far?” she answers:

“The political will has not really surfaced… if the Prosecutor’s Office presents the West with enough evidence incriminating the National Movement and proving their guilt, who on earth will thwart them in rendering justice?”