Press Scanner
Compiled by Salome Modebadze
Wednesday, November 26
Republicans deny connection with Irakli Alasania
The Republican Party denies having any connection with Irakli Alasania, the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations, Alia writes. The leaders of the party reject rumours about their cooperation.
“I can’t say whether there have been any negotiations with Alasania or not. I haven’t taken part in them,” Ivliane Khaindrava stated. Levan Berdzenishvili also denied there had been any meeting between Davit Usupashvili and Irakli Alasania. “I’ve heard nothing about such consultations. It is really interesting that I have no information on this subject but you say it’s already been released publicly,” Berdzenishvili noted.
Alia states that, despite the above, consultations between Alasania and Usupashvili have been in progress for quite a long time. According to unofficial information, Usupashvili met Alasania several times whilst visiting the USA. A rumour about Alasania joining the opposition persists.
Burjanadze must beg our pardon, Khukhashvili says
Georgian analyst Gia Khukhashvili suggests that Nino Burjanadze’s new party has a particular perspective and a chance for further success, but Burjanadze still has to apologize to the Georgian nation for what she did in her previous post, Alia reports. To Khukhashvili’s mind, society has a lot of questions for her.
“All her claims about the Government return to Burjanadze like a boomerang. I don’t know how she will manage to disassociate herself from the problems she outlined in her own programme,” Khukhashvili noted. “Burjanadze shouldn’t forget that society has a good memory and remembers all her faults as Parliamentary Chairman. Everyone knows about the compensation she received after her resignation. Everyone remembers November 7 and the false elections of January 2007. Perhaps Burjanadze didn’t commit these crimes herself, but still she was part of all this, which imposes a strict moral responsibility on her,” Khukhashvili added.
Khukhashvili suggests that Burjanadze should negotiate with the Georgian people, not foreigners, if she wants to return to Georgian politics. The Georgian people would have to make that choice.
What information has Kokoity released to Russian media?
The de facto President of South Ossetia has stated: “The names of citizens of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation who have cooperated with the Georgian Special Task Groups are already known. We obtained a list after freeing the Ossetian villages. These people received money from Sanakoev’s puppet government regularly,” Sakartvelos Respublika reports.
“Prosecutions for high treason have already begun. We have also discussed applying to the Russian Special Task Groups for them to start an investigation of their own traitors. We have obtained a Georgian archive with photos of strategically important facilities in South Ossetia, high-ranking representatives of the republic and their family members,” Kokoity noted. “We guarantee to publish the material taken from the Georgians,” he added.
Escaped prisoners caught
Two more prisoners who escaped from the Khoni colony in Kutaisi in August have been caught, Sakartvelos Respulika writes. The names of the newly-arrested prisoners have not been released, but they will be accused of organizing the escape.
More than 100 prisoners escaped from the Khoni colony during the August events. Most of them have been recaptured. 30 prisoners caught during the last two months will serve an additional sentence, while 50 prisoners who returned to the colony by themselves will receive lighter penalties.
The Republican Party denies having any connection with Irakli Alasania, the Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations, Alia writes. The leaders of the party reject rumours about their cooperation.
“I can’t say whether there have been any negotiations with Alasania or not. I haven’t taken part in them,” Ivliane Khaindrava stated. Levan Berdzenishvili also denied there had been any meeting between Davit Usupashvili and Irakli Alasania. “I’ve heard nothing about such consultations. It is really interesting that I have no information on this subject but you say it’s already been released publicly,” Berdzenishvili noted.
Alia states that, despite the above, consultations between Alasania and Usupashvili have been in progress for quite a long time. According to unofficial information, Usupashvili met Alasania several times whilst visiting the USA. A rumour about Alasania joining the opposition persists.
Burjanadze must beg our pardon, Khukhashvili says
Georgian analyst Gia Khukhashvili suggests that Nino Burjanadze’s new party has a particular perspective and a chance for further success, but Burjanadze still has to apologize to the Georgian nation for what she did in her previous post, Alia reports. To Khukhashvili’s mind, society has a lot of questions for her.
“All her claims about the Government return to Burjanadze like a boomerang. I don’t know how she will manage to disassociate herself from the problems she outlined in her own programme,” Khukhashvili noted. “Burjanadze shouldn’t forget that society has a good memory and remembers all her faults as Parliamentary Chairman. Everyone knows about the compensation she received after her resignation. Everyone remembers November 7 and the false elections of January 2007. Perhaps Burjanadze didn’t commit these crimes herself, but still she was part of all this, which imposes a strict moral responsibility on her,” Khukhashvili added.
Khukhashvili suggests that Burjanadze should negotiate with the Georgian people, not foreigners, if she wants to return to Georgian politics. The Georgian people would have to make that choice.
What information has Kokoity released to Russian media?
The de facto President of South Ossetia has stated: “The names of citizens of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation who have cooperated with the Georgian Special Task Groups are already known. We obtained a list after freeing the Ossetian villages. These people received money from Sanakoev’s puppet government regularly,” Sakartvelos Respublika reports.
“Prosecutions for high treason have already begun. We have also discussed applying to the Russian Special Task Groups for them to start an investigation of their own traitors. We have obtained a Georgian archive with photos of strategically important facilities in South Ossetia, high-ranking representatives of the republic and their family members,” Kokoity noted. “We guarantee to publish the material taken from the Georgians,” he added.
Escaped prisoners caught
Two more prisoners who escaped from the Khoni colony in Kutaisi in August have been caught, Sakartvelos Respulika writes. The names of the newly-arrested prisoners have not been released, but they will be accused of organizing the escape.
More than 100 prisoners escaped from the Khoni colony during the August events. Most of them have been recaptured. 30 prisoners caught during the last two months will serve an additional sentence, while 50 prisoners who returned to the colony by themselves will receive lighter penalties.