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Compiled by Sopo Datishvili
Thursday, January 22
Rustaveli Avenue to be closed again

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that the members of the November 7 Movement will dedicate their planned meeting outside the Parliament building to the anniversary of President Saakashvili’s inauguration.

The Movement says that a year has now passed since the elections they say were “rigged” by the “so-called” President, which were followed by the inauguration he arranged. Its member Jaba Jishkariani also said that January 28 is the anniversary of Sandro Girgvliani’s death, and despite the fact three years have passed, “the officials guilty of his death remain in their positions.”

The November 7 Movement will begin a new wave of demonstrations intended to cause discomfort to the Government. The organisers warn they will be quite radical. The Movement will close Rustaveli Avenue on January 28 and begin its demonstration at 2 p.m.



Doctors from The Netherlands provide IDPs with medical treatment

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that a delegation of Dutch doctors is in Zugdidi. According to the media centre of the Tbilisi-loyal Abkhazian Autonomous Republic, three homoeopaths will provide children and adults with necessary medical treatment and diagnostics over two days.

Patients will be examined at the Zugdidi Polyclinic for Refugees. They will be selected beforehand. The Zugdidi Polyclinic for Refugees was chosen as the treatment centre by a joint decision of the Abkhazian Ministry of Health and The Netherlands, as a lot of refugees live in that area.

The Abkhazian Autonomous Republic’s Deputy Minister of Health, Tengiz Kvirtia, says that the Ministry continues to cooperate with Dutch medical officers.



Sozar Subari will resign in spring

Irakli Alasania will return to Georgia on January 24, and as Akhali Taoba reports, different political bodies will be holding street actions just after this date. It is said that Alasania will publicly announce his future political plans on the First Channel.

People think Alasania isn’t going to follow the path of Irakli Okruashvili, the former Interior Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Economics. Alasania has however held similar positions, and has previously been the head of the Abkhazian Government and also Georgian Ambassador to the UN.

Alasania announced his political ambitions in December. Each opposition party, apart from Labour, has made careful comments about his possible entry into the political arena. The Republicans and New Rights alliance in particular is awaiting Alasania’s return.

Sozar Subari is also thought to be in the same position as Alasania. It is believed that the Ombudsman will resign in spring, but he has said nothing concerning this yet. As Public Defender, Subari cannot make political pronouncements. Alasania is however able to say which political party he will support or join.



Hammarberg will attend monitoring of IDPs in February

Rezonansi reports that EU Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg will attend a monitoring of IDPs which will take place from February in Tbilisi. According to the Regnum agency Hammarberg announced this during a meeting with the head of Russian State Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Kosachov, in Moscow.

Hammarberg says he discussed the issue of IDPs at the meeting. “First of all we should study carefully the cases of missing people. We should find out who is missing and who is confirmed as dead to provide their families with information,” said Hammarberg.