The News in Brief
Friday, December 28
MP Khdiasheli initiates several draft laws
Majority MP Tina Khidasheli has initiated several draft laws, one of which entails separation of the garbage collection and electricity tariffs. The MP from the Republican Party says this draft law will prohibit local governments from similar manipulations of municipal tariffs. After the draft law is adopted, the garbage collection tariff will be determined according to the number of people living in one family.
Another legislative initiative, which the majority MP plans to propose to parliament for discussion tomorrow, is making education at municipal kindergartens free. “It is written in black and white in Georgia`s Constitution, that the state of Georgia must provide education for children starting at kindergarten, which means that this should not have any fees attached. The draft law will be initiated in parliament tomorrow,” Khidasheli said. (Rustavi 2)
MoD surprised by announcement of Saakashvili's planned Afghan trip
Defense Minister, Irakli Alasania, said the public announcement of President Saakashvili’s planned visit to Afghanistan in advance was a surprise for him and added that planned visits by high-ranking officials to Afghanistan were usually kept secret until arrival.
The president’s administration announced Mikheil Saakashvili’s intention to spend New Year’s Eve with the Georgian troops in the Helmand province on December 25.
“Such a public statement was unexpected for us,” Defence Minister Irakli Alasania told Maestro TV’s late-night political talk-show on December 26. “The fact in itself that the commander in chief will spend New Year’s Eve with our troops in Afghanistan is positive. However, due to security reasons, it would have been much better if we had kept it confidential, as is expected during the visits of leaders in such hotspots.”
“It is routine not to leak information [about planned visits] in advance. But I do not see any disaster in this; the armed forces will take all the required security measures,” he said.
Alasania also indicated that amid ongoing search and rescue operation, which is underway for a missing Georgian soldier, who disappeared in the Helmand province on December 19, the president’s planned visit might be an additional security burden for Georgian troops. Alasania, however, stressed that preparation for Saakashvili’s visit started before the Georgian corporal disappeared.
When asked if he would advise the president to cancel the visit, Alasania responded that he would not because Saakashvili “would not accept such advice.”
He also added that, “we are capable of the heighten security” measures required in order for the visit to proceed without trouble.
On missing the Georgian soldier, Alasania said that the probability that the corporal was alive “is now higher and we have now more reasons to be optimistic that he will return back to his family.” (Civil.ge)
Political attacks on judiciary were evident in the past few months – Kote Kublashvili
The Chairman of the Supreme Court, Kote Kublashvili, has summed up the year of 2012.
As Kublashvili said at today’s briefing, political attacks were evident on the judiciary for the last few months, but according to him, there were relevant reactions to the attacks.
Kublashvili noted that judges expressed their position in their verdicts and expressed special gratitude to the judges of the Tbilisi Supreme Court. "The Tbilisi City Court judges were under the biggest attack and despite this, they continued to work objectively. I am sure they will continue in this manner next year too’, Kublashvili said.
In addition, he said the structural reorganization of the judicial system was completed in 2012.
The Chairman of the Supreme Court also introduced plans for the coming year. He said that in 2013 the court will offer the Parliament to make amendments to the Constitution with regard to rights of the High Council of Justice. (IPN)
MIA releases statement on detention of former chairman of Vani local municipality
Davit Kakabadze, the former chairman of the Vani local municipality, has been detained says the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
It was established through an investigation, that Kakabadze has instigated the employees of the municipality, acting chairman and head of the apparatus of the same service in the falsification of documents.
The document which was dated November 5 was actually issued on December 20, 2012. Davit Kakabadze was dismissed from the chairmanship on December 9. Law enforcement has already questioned all individuals involved in the case.
Regarding the case an investigation was launched under the article 24-341 (Falsification in service, i.e. entering false data or record into an official document or register) of the Criminal Code. In a statement from the Internal Ministry it says, "The crime carries a penalty of 2 to 4 years of imprisonment." (IPN)
Akhvlediani interrogated by IS
The first deputy chairperson of the Tbilisi City Assembly, Mamuka Akhvlediani, has been summoned to the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance for the second time. Akhvlediani came to the office at 11:00 today. He says the questions referred to the privatization of Rike park territory in Tbilisi, as well as at the first interrogation and he thinks that he should have been questioned regarding the case much earlier. Akhvlediani says the case is politically motivated. (Rustavi 2)
Majority MP Tina Khidasheli has initiated several draft laws, one of which entails separation of the garbage collection and electricity tariffs. The MP from the Republican Party says this draft law will prohibit local governments from similar manipulations of municipal tariffs. After the draft law is adopted, the garbage collection tariff will be determined according to the number of people living in one family.
Another legislative initiative, which the majority MP plans to propose to parliament for discussion tomorrow, is making education at municipal kindergartens free. “It is written in black and white in Georgia`s Constitution, that the state of Georgia must provide education for children starting at kindergarten, which means that this should not have any fees attached. The draft law will be initiated in parliament tomorrow,” Khidasheli said. (Rustavi 2)
MoD surprised by announcement of Saakashvili's planned Afghan trip
Defense Minister, Irakli Alasania, said the public announcement of President Saakashvili’s planned visit to Afghanistan in advance was a surprise for him and added that planned visits by high-ranking officials to Afghanistan were usually kept secret until arrival.
The president’s administration announced Mikheil Saakashvili’s intention to spend New Year’s Eve with the Georgian troops in the Helmand province on December 25.
“Such a public statement was unexpected for us,” Defence Minister Irakli Alasania told Maestro TV’s late-night political talk-show on December 26. “The fact in itself that the commander in chief will spend New Year’s Eve with our troops in Afghanistan is positive. However, due to security reasons, it would have been much better if we had kept it confidential, as is expected during the visits of leaders in such hotspots.”
“It is routine not to leak information [about planned visits] in advance. But I do not see any disaster in this; the armed forces will take all the required security measures,” he said.
Alasania also indicated that amid ongoing search and rescue operation, which is underway for a missing Georgian soldier, who disappeared in the Helmand province on December 19, the president’s planned visit might be an additional security burden for Georgian troops. Alasania, however, stressed that preparation for Saakashvili’s visit started before the Georgian corporal disappeared.
When asked if he would advise the president to cancel the visit, Alasania responded that he would not because Saakashvili “would not accept such advice.”
He also added that, “we are capable of the heighten security” measures required in order for the visit to proceed without trouble.
On missing the Georgian soldier, Alasania said that the probability that the corporal was alive “is now higher and we have now more reasons to be optimistic that he will return back to his family.” (Civil.ge)
Political attacks on judiciary were evident in the past few months – Kote Kublashvili
The Chairman of the Supreme Court, Kote Kublashvili, has summed up the year of 2012.
As Kublashvili said at today’s briefing, political attacks were evident on the judiciary for the last few months, but according to him, there were relevant reactions to the attacks.
Kublashvili noted that judges expressed their position in their verdicts and expressed special gratitude to the judges of the Tbilisi Supreme Court. "The Tbilisi City Court judges were under the biggest attack and despite this, they continued to work objectively. I am sure they will continue in this manner next year too’, Kublashvili said.
In addition, he said the structural reorganization of the judicial system was completed in 2012.
The Chairman of the Supreme Court also introduced plans for the coming year. He said that in 2013 the court will offer the Parliament to make amendments to the Constitution with regard to rights of the High Council of Justice. (IPN)
MIA releases statement on detention of former chairman of Vani local municipality
Davit Kakabadze, the former chairman of the Vani local municipality, has been detained says the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
It was established through an investigation, that Kakabadze has instigated the employees of the municipality, acting chairman and head of the apparatus of the same service in the falsification of documents.
The document which was dated November 5 was actually issued on December 20, 2012. Davit Kakabadze was dismissed from the chairmanship on December 9. Law enforcement has already questioned all individuals involved in the case.
Regarding the case an investigation was launched under the article 24-341 (Falsification in service, i.e. entering false data or record into an official document or register) of the Criminal Code. In a statement from the Internal Ministry it says, "The crime carries a penalty of 2 to 4 years of imprisonment." (IPN)
Akhvlediani interrogated by IS
The first deputy chairperson of the Tbilisi City Assembly, Mamuka Akhvlediani, has been summoned to the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance for the second time. Akhvlediani came to the office at 11:00 today. He says the questions referred to the privatization of Rike park territory in Tbilisi, as well as at the first interrogation and he thinks that he should have been questioned regarding the case much earlier. Akhvlediani says the case is politically motivated. (Rustavi 2)