Press Digest 05.12.2014

Disgruntled Bidzina Ivanishvili is expected to dismiss three high officials

The depreciation of GEL and growing depression in the public is immensely alarming since it is dragging the country to a dead-end critical situation – Nodar Sarjveladze

“Devaluation of the lari is connected to a change in economic course. We have entered the age of centaur-like economy, with an old body and a new head”

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Disgruntled Bidzina Ivanishvili is expected to dismiss three high officials

“The drop in GEL value has resulted in a number of inevitable changes within the executive government. A reliable source has provided us with rather trustworthy information saying that a scheme that is likely to crush some influential high officials is being drawn up. In order to deal with the country’s economic problems and to in any way rectify the critical situation, a new system is being shaped. Accordingly, as it is expected, in the coming days, a reshuffling in the state institution will result in the dismissal of some top officials. “Despite Bidzina Ivanishvili’s allegation as per which absolutely nothing special is happening in the country today, as it seems, the stagnation in which the system dwells today has angered the former PM quite a bit. He does not care regarding the people serving in the body – he only wants the system to operate properly. Do you know what sort of person Ivanishvili is? For instance, if he flicks a switch and a lamp does not turn on, he may devastate everything in the room,” maintains the source and adds that despite the fact that Ivanishvili is on extremely good terms with Gharibashvili, he will chase Zviad Jankarashvili out of the body under any circumstances,” reports the Alia gazette.

"In addition, reports fly that Head of Regional Management Service, Akaki Chkhenkeli, will also be removed from his post. Bidzina Ivanishvili knows better than others that this service does not work. As the behind-the-scenes information has it, Minister of Infrastructure, Irakli Shavliashvili will also bow out from his post soon. According to the source, the leadership of the Ministry is extremely week and is absolutely unable to perform its entrusted duties,” says the article.

“According to the source, some extremely reliable people who are his right hands serve Ivanishvili. These people supervise the majority as well as the leading team and keep Mr. Ivanishvili posted. In this way he is always on top of the ongoing developments in the country. Precisely these people notified Ivanaishvili that currently, an unmotivated slew of people without any kind of enthusiasm or zest for public service have a home in the government and managed to push the country to the brink of disaster. The former PM is said to hold a congress with his informers who while passing detailed information regarding the present situation in the country very frequently used words like “stagnation,” “inflation,” “stalled and axed projects,” “irresponsibility,” “their desire to enjoy a sinecure post,” etc.,” reads the paper.  

“We have witnessed extremely rapid changes; everything is happening too fast in the country. We have encountered with immensely unexpected surprises. If we believe the source, Gharibashvili himself is unlikely to be faced with any kind of problems. He is a charismatic person and from the very beginning, Bidzina Ivanishvili was very well aware of the fact that he was inapt to draw any radical changes in the country. However, in his private talks, Mr. Ivanishvili is said to be claiming that if the government is not purged of the present top officials, his team will undoubtedly lose the lections of 2016. According to the reliable source, Ivanishvili will quadruple efforts to form a system that will function properly,” concludes the author of the article.

The depreciation of GEL and growing depression in the public is immensely alarming since it is dragging the country to a dead-end critical situation – Nodar Sarjveladze

“Uncertainty, government having undercut its people’s expectations, increased migration, depression, domestic conflicts, more and more people committing suicide – according to our psychologists, this is just the short list of those presumable repercussions the depreciation of GEL and financial instability can result in. This unstable environment can produce many more problems than it seems at first sight. Therefore, it does not matter whether or not the government is guilty, the infuriated people will hold them accountable for their mishaps under any circumstances,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“According to the specialists, our long-suffered people are left with an impression that the government is inclined to ignore their problems since they care only about their own well-being. Doctor of psychological sciences, Professor Nodar Sarjveladze claims that the devaluation of GEL has made our people’s future even dimmer and obscure. Against the growing uncertainties, the people are gradually overtaken with a feeling of insecurity; they fear that they are unable to plan their own lives as their financial prospects seem hopeless…In the words of the professor, when the quality of life in the country is stable, the people start accumulating savings and in this way they feel secure. However, when recession starts and the process of countrywide impoverishment begins, the people stop saving money since they don’t want to invest in their obscured future,” reads the paper.

“Obscurity and uncertainty is like an earthquake, a social earthquake I mean. Figuratively Speaking, our country is being shaken today. Naturally, the people do not have even the slightest desire to dwell in the country where their future is shrouded in obscurity and in the wake of this the number of migrants is growing. People are trying to escape from the critical situation by fleeing their own country and trying to make their lives better abroad. Desperation is growing in Georgia today. That is why the Government is obliged to calm our people down by ensuring them that it has elaborated some type of plan to lead them out of this horrible crisis,” states Mr. Sarjveladze.

"Our Finance Minister is persistently insisting that this or that issue does not concern him. By trying to head off his people’s questions, he simply makes it clear that he does not have even the slightest idea how to communicate with them. Accordingly, this makes the people, who are already scared without this, realize that those at the helm of their country are totally incompetent and unable to tackle their problems. I do get that the issue of inflation cannot be dealt with in one fell swoop; however, the people must be kept in the loop since even if the authorities are not guilty, they will still hold them responsible for their misfortunes under any circumstances,” concludes the author of the article.

“Devaluation of the lari is connected to a change in economic course. We have entered the age of centaur-like economy, with an old body and a new head”

"Inflation is an issue that must be handled by the National Bank; as for other issues, the government is responsible for dealing with them. If currency does not flow in our economy what will the National Bank be able to do? Can it create the currency out of thin air? If the government refuses to exert any efforts to make the country attractive for the local as well as foreign investors, it will dwell in economic stagnation forever,” announces “Georgia’s Economic Development” Head, Roman Gotsiridze, in his interview with the Alia gazette.

“Where are the investments and why should an investor give the advantage to Georgia over other countries? Why should they make investments here? Devaluation of GEL is directly linked to their move to shift our economic course. One thing is absolutely clear though – by resuming its investments, the National Bank has minimized the amount of the national currency circulating in the country, and this will obviously have a negative effect on our economy and its advancement. Unfortunately, as the present status quo strongly suggests, the next two years will be the years of improving the already made mistakes and will not draw any substantial change in the country,” maintains MR. Gotsiridze.

“The people are not interested in the slightest about who the Ukrainians will appoint as their Minister. They are woefully mistaken if they really think that the entire world revolves around them and the issues that interest them. The situation has radically changed in the country and it has change from bad to worse. Tell me, where is there a center that produces economic ideas? Our Government is in desperate need of foreign professionals with political savvy and the ability to rectify the situation here,” claims Mr. Gotsiridze.

“The mistakes that have been repeatedly made over two years have been building up to a boiling point. Like a pot of boiling water, it does not matter how long you boil water, it will remain water until it reaches the boiling point. Upon reaching it, water will instantly become steam. This one degree from 99 to 100 could have proven to be some visa restrictions, pauses in investments, a deficit in our budget, aggressive political brawls etc. To cut it short, the current situation in the country is alarming and we have entered an era of a centaur-like economy with an old body and new head,” concludes Roman Gotsiridze.