The News in Brief
Thursday, May 21
Nika Gilauri excludes job losses at Georgian Railway
Prime Minister Nika Gilauri has commented on possible job losses at Georgian Railway facilities in Poti. Gilauri stated that a tendency of reduced transportation usage has been noticed but will not cause job losses.
General Director of Georgian Railway Irakli Ezugbaia had said that statements made by various political groups about blocking the railway lines and misinformation about explosions have caused serious reduction of rail transport recently. He had added that it would be hard for the railway to fulfil the orders it has and it would have to discharge some of its staff, who number about 35,000. (Interpressnews)
Parliamentary opposition selects two candidates for Chair of the Constitutional Commission
The Parliamentary opposition has selected two possible candidates for the post of Chair of the Constitutional Commission. Leader of the parliamentary minority Giorgi Targamadze stated this after a Parliamentary minority group session.
Targamadze said that the candidacies will be officially announced after the opinions of the candidates about the Commisson’s work are analyzed. The Parliamentary opposition doesn’t want these candidatures to be presented only by them and want them to be agreed by all involved in the Constitutional Commission.
The Parliamentary opposition remember that the Government stated that any candidate presented by the opposition would be approved. They hope the Government will keep this promise.
The Parliamentary opposition has been discussing the possible candidatures of Mindia Ugrekhelidze, Lado Chanturia, Avtandil Demetrashvili, Tedo Ninidze and Joni Khetsuriani, but it is not known which two of these candidates the opposition has selected. (Interpressnews)
Mikheil Saakashvili in Baku
President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili began an official visit to Azerbaijan yesterday. The Press Service of the President’s Administration states that the visit will last for two days.
The President of Georgia will lay a wreath at the memorial to former President of Azerbaijan Heidar Aliyev and then meet President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade and the Speaker of the Mili Medjlis. Relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan and economic cooperation issues will be discussed at these meetings. (Interpressnews)
Senior MPs attend military manoeuvres in Vaziani
Georgian Parliament Speaker Davit Bakradze and members of the Parliamentary majority attended the military manoeuvres at the Vaziani base today. The trainings are held as part of the NATO Partnership for Peace Programme.
The Parliamentarians watched the platoon of the Fifth Brigade of the 53rd Battalion neutralize an attack by armoured tanks. Chief of Staff of the armed forces Davie Chankotadze also watched the simulated combat operation with the MPs, and all declared their satisfaction with it. (Rustavi 2)
Minister of Refugees meets IDPs in Senaki
Minister of Refugees and Resettlement of Georgia Koba Subeliani met IDPs settled in the kindergarten in Senaki, Samegrelo Region, yesterday. The Minister listened to refugees from Abkhazia, who were mostly complaining about social problems.
The kindergarten is being rehabilitated and its rooms will be handed over to IDPs after the repair works are over. 15 families will have homes as a result. The building was damaged by cluster bombs during the Russian intervention last August and Russian occupiers stayed in it during the war.
The Minister will also meet other refugees during his visit to Samegrelo. (Rustavi 2)
Didgori district locals ask Mayor`s Office for help
The population of the Didgori district has urged the Tbilisi Mayor`s Office to resolve the transportation problems caused by the opposition blocking the central roads and Freedom Square. People who live on the Tbilisi-Tskneti-Kojori road sector assembled in the Kojori settlement and complained that the blockade hindered transport movement, students had problems getting to the universities and emergency workers were also facing obstructions. The locals urged the municipal government to resolve these problems. (Rustavi 2)
Prime Minister Nika Gilauri has commented on possible job losses at Georgian Railway facilities in Poti. Gilauri stated that a tendency of reduced transportation usage has been noticed but will not cause job losses.
General Director of Georgian Railway Irakli Ezugbaia had said that statements made by various political groups about blocking the railway lines and misinformation about explosions have caused serious reduction of rail transport recently. He had added that it would be hard for the railway to fulfil the orders it has and it would have to discharge some of its staff, who number about 35,000. (Interpressnews)
Parliamentary opposition selects two candidates for Chair of the Constitutional Commission
The Parliamentary opposition has selected two possible candidates for the post of Chair of the Constitutional Commission. Leader of the parliamentary minority Giorgi Targamadze stated this after a Parliamentary minority group session.
Targamadze said that the candidacies will be officially announced after the opinions of the candidates about the Commisson’s work are analyzed. The Parliamentary opposition doesn’t want these candidatures to be presented only by them and want them to be agreed by all involved in the Constitutional Commission.
The Parliamentary opposition remember that the Government stated that any candidate presented by the opposition would be approved. They hope the Government will keep this promise.
The Parliamentary opposition has been discussing the possible candidatures of Mindia Ugrekhelidze, Lado Chanturia, Avtandil Demetrashvili, Tedo Ninidze and Joni Khetsuriani, but it is not known which two of these candidates the opposition has selected. (Interpressnews)
Mikheil Saakashvili in Baku
President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili began an official visit to Azerbaijan yesterday. The Press Service of the President’s Administration states that the visit will last for two days.
The President of Georgia will lay a wreath at the memorial to former President of Azerbaijan Heidar Aliyev and then meet President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade and the Speaker of the Mili Medjlis. Relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan and economic cooperation issues will be discussed at these meetings. (Interpressnews)
Senior MPs attend military manoeuvres in Vaziani
Georgian Parliament Speaker Davit Bakradze and members of the Parliamentary majority attended the military manoeuvres at the Vaziani base today. The trainings are held as part of the NATO Partnership for Peace Programme.
The Parliamentarians watched the platoon of the Fifth Brigade of the 53rd Battalion neutralize an attack by armoured tanks. Chief of Staff of the armed forces Davie Chankotadze also watched the simulated combat operation with the MPs, and all declared their satisfaction with it. (Rustavi 2)
Minister of Refugees meets IDPs in Senaki
Minister of Refugees and Resettlement of Georgia Koba Subeliani met IDPs settled in the kindergarten in Senaki, Samegrelo Region, yesterday. The Minister listened to refugees from Abkhazia, who were mostly complaining about social problems.
The kindergarten is being rehabilitated and its rooms will be handed over to IDPs after the repair works are over. 15 families will have homes as a result. The building was damaged by cluster bombs during the Russian intervention last August and Russian occupiers stayed in it during the war.
The Minister will also meet other refugees during his visit to Samegrelo. (Rustavi 2)
Didgori district locals ask Mayor`s Office for help
The population of the Didgori district has urged the Tbilisi Mayor`s Office to resolve the transportation problems caused by the opposition blocking the central roads and Freedom Square. People who live on the Tbilisi-Tskneti-Kojori road sector assembled in the Kojori settlement and complained that the blockade hindered transport movement, students had problems getting to the universities and emergency workers were also facing obstructions. The locals urged the municipal government to resolve these problems. (Rustavi 2)