The News in Brief

Bakradze visits Germany

Davit Bakradze is scheduled to visit Germany today.

Bakradze resigned this week as foreign minister to run for parliament; he will be in Berlin as a special representative of the president, and is expected to meet with the German foreign affairs minister and other top officials.

He will be leaving from the United States, where he met with the US secretary of state. (Prime News)



Ombudsman meets US State Department representatives

Human Rights Ombudsman Sozar Subari met with representatives of the US State Department yesterday to brief them on the human rights situation in Georgia.

Representatives of the ombudsman said they discussed vote fraud and breaches of property and human rights. (Prime News)



Border guards arrest Russian citizens

Georgian border guards arrested two Russian citizens yesterday at Batumi port.

The two arrived on a ferry; border guard representatives said the two entered Georgian illegally without going through the Adler border checkpoint. (Prime News)



Economic Development Ministry unveils folklore center

The Economic Development Ministry unveiled the new building for the State Center for Folklore yesterday.

The new incarnation of the center will accommodate a national folklore school, exhibition and concert halls, radio and recording studios. Giorgi Ushikashvili, the head of the center, said that its mission is to popularize Georgian folklore.

The center was founded in 1937. (Prime News)



Opposition bloc calls for volunteer election monitors

The nine-party opposition bloc called yesterday on voters to join them in monitoring the May 21 parliamentary elections.

New Rights leader and bloc member Davit Gamkrelidze said the coalition would endeavor to monitor all polling stations in Georgia and abroad.

“Monitoring at all poling stations depends on a corresponding number of volunteers. Proceeding from the experience of the last presidential election, we see that the authorities are afraid of ordinary public attention and monitoring,” Gamkrelidze said. (Black Sea Press)



Republican candidate opens reception room

Republican Tina Khidasheli, who is running for in the May 21 parliamentary elections as a majoritarian candidate from Tbilisi’s Saburtalo district, opened a reception room for voters at 18 Mitskevichi Street.

Khidasheli said voters in Saburtalo would be able to share their concerns with her and pose questions. (Prime News)