Press Scanner
Compiled by Keti Baramidze
Thursday, May 27
Election campaigns dissected
24 Saati writes that as only a few days are left until the local government elections it has tried to analyse all the positives and negatives of the election process by holding interviews with sociologists, politicians and others.
Political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze states that these local elections have not had the same characteristics as Parliamentary or Presidential elections. He expected the parties to hold more uncompromising campaigns but they have been rather passive. Analyst Gia Nodia says that, "We supposed that a serious confrontation would take place between the Government and opposition and the latter would have a chance to win. However on the basis of observation it seems that these elections will be very similar to the ones held in 2006."
Nodia describes Gigi Ugulava's campaign as well-organised and successful. He believes the Christian Democrats' campaign has been better than that of other opposition parties but still finds fault with it. He states that Alasania wasted a huge amount of time arguing with the rest of the opposition and his election campaign has been a complete failure.
Burjanadze was right, says analyst
Akhali Taoba reports that former Chair of Parliament Nino Burjanadze’s statement on returning from Russia that when she started thinking about the Russian-Georgian war she concluded that Gori had been bombed by Georgia, not Russia, has caused a great public dissension and misunderstanding. As expected, plenty of analysts have responded to this statement.
Interestingly, Ramaz Klimiashvili agrees with Burjanadze. “A while ago Vano Merabishvili spread sensational information about Givi Targamadze’s plans to blow up the Stalin Monument and added that the Russians had categorically refused to help him do this. As an analyst this leads me to a logical conclusion: that on August 12, when the centre of Gori was bombed, the Stalin Monument was the target of those bombs. The Russians had refused to bomb the monument, and everyone knows that the bombs used were the type Georgia generally uses. All this gives me grounds for agreeing with Burjanadze and therefore I believe what she said is simply the truth.
"It also would be reasonable if Gori residents gave us their own viewpoint on this. Nor should we forget that a Dutch journalist was killed during this war, and I’m sure that in his country everyone knows about this. They bring in such bogus and pointless arguments to justify saying that Russia bombed Gori that unfortunately it makes it more obvious who really did it," adds Klimiashvili.
“Instead of abusing Burjanadze the Government should ask the General Prosecutor to find out what actually happened in Gori, but as it is well aware of the tiniest detail of it it obviously has nothing to investigate,” Klimiashvili states.
24 Saati writes that as only a few days are left until the local government elections it has tried to analyse all the positives and negatives of the election process by holding interviews with sociologists, politicians and others.
Political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze states that these local elections have not had the same characteristics as Parliamentary or Presidential elections. He expected the parties to hold more uncompromising campaigns but they have been rather passive. Analyst Gia Nodia says that, "We supposed that a serious confrontation would take place between the Government and opposition and the latter would have a chance to win. However on the basis of observation it seems that these elections will be very similar to the ones held in 2006."
Nodia describes Gigi Ugulava's campaign as well-organised and successful. He believes the Christian Democrats' campaign has been better than that of other opposition parties but still finds fault with it. He states that Alasania wasted a huge amount of time arguing with the rest of the opposition and his election campaign has been a complete failure.
Burjanadze was right, says analyst
Akhali Taoba reports that former Chair of Parliament Nino Burjanadze’s statement on returning from Russia that when she started thinking about the Russian-Georgian war she concluded that Gori had been bombed by Georgia, not Russia, has caused a great public dissension and misunderstanding. As expected, plenty of analysts have responded to this statement.
Interestingly, Ramaz Klimiashvili agrees with Burjanadze. “A while ago Vano Merabishvili spread sensational information about Givi Targamadze’s plans to blow up the Stalin Monument and added that the Russians had categorically refused to help him do this. As an analyst this leads me to a logical conclusion: that on August 12, when the centre of Gori was bombed, the Stalin Monument was the target of those bombs. The Russians had refused to bomb the monument, and everyone knows that the bombs used were the type Georgia generally uses. All this gives me grounds for agreeing with Burjanadze and therefore I believe what she said is simply the truth.
"It also would be reasonable if Gori residents gave us their own viewpoint on this. Nor should we forget that a Dutch journalist was killed during this war, and I’m sure that in his country everyone knows about this. They bring in such bogus and pointless arguments to justify saying that Russia bombed Gori that unfortunately it makes it more obvious who really did it," adds Klimiashvili.
“Instead of abusing Burjanadze the Government should ask the General Prosecutor to find out what actually happened in Gori, but as it is well aware of the tiniest detail of it it obviously has nothing to investigate,” Klimiashvili states.