Georgian press digest: excerpts
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Subject: Georgian press digest: excerpts
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Georgian press digest: excerpts
ANNOTATED DAILY HEADLINES
OF THE GEORGIAN PRESS
Compiled by the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and
Development (CIPDD)
Text: Tamara Shamil
English version: Guram Dumbadze
Editor: Emil Adelkhanov-Steinberg
KAKHA TARGAMADZE DOES NOT DENY THAT SOMEONE PROFITED BY THE GALI
TRAGEDY
Interior Minister Kakha Targamadze flatly disclaims journalist Klara
Abramia's "provocative figments that play
in the enemy's hands". According to her ("Rezonansi" No 44), he just
appropriated a big sum that had been allocated for the last May
operation against the Abkhaz detachments in the Gali district; as a
result, the operation failed and 40 thousand Georgians were ousted
from the district. No money had been allocated and no operation had
been planned, Mr Targamadze assures. He admits that someone made a
profit from the tragedy though, adding that the (Tbilisi-based)
Interior Ministry of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia has already
investigated such cases and passed them to his Ministry.
Eliso Chapidze, "Resonance" No. 45, pp. 1, 4
--------------------------
March 1, 1999
..................
2. ABKHAZ GOVERNMENT STARTING REPATRIATION OF GEORGIAN REFUGEES TODAY
According to Sergey Baghapsh, the Abkhaz Prime Minister, the Abkhaz
authoriries are not going to drag out the return of the ethnic
Georgians to the Gali district of Abkhazia. However, Eduard
Shevardnadze has called upon the latter to abstain from repatriation
unless they got firm safety guarantees.
"Shidi Dge" No. 24, March 1-2, p. 1
3. PEOPLE GROWN DESPERATE. THE GOVERNMENT "DOES NOT SUPPORT" THE
SEPARATISTS' APPEAL
Sukhumi has announced that repatriation of the Georgian refugees to
the Gail district will start on March 1. Meanwhile, the refugees keep
on picketing the central bridge over the Enguri river. They demand the
Georgian government to state clearly whether it will be able at last
to provide them with their allowances (12 GEL = c.$6 per month) which
they have not been paid for two months.
Rusiko Mikava. "Resonance" No. 55, March 1, pp. 1, 2
4. IT IS SUKHUMI THAT MUST ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REFUGEES'
REPATRIATION
According to Lev Mironov, a Russian envoy, the repatriation of the
refugees to the Gali district of Abkhazia unilaterally declared by the
Abkhaz government involves a certain degree of risk since there are no
firm security guarantees. The Russian peacekeepers, in his words, are
only able to guarantee the refugees' safety in the points where they
are dislocated, but if the repatriation evolves into a large-scale
process, Sukhumi must be ready to take full responsibility.
Kavkaz-Press agency. "Dilis Gazeti" No. 43, March 1, p. 1
5. DEMIREL OFFERS MESKHETIAN TURKS TO SETTLE IN TURKEY
According to Shevardnadze, Suleiman Demirel has met with some
representatives of the Meskhetians and offered them to settle in
Turkey, provided they want to do so. In his words, Ankara and Tbilisi
will continue consultations on the issue.
Prime-News agency. "Dilis Gazeti" No. 43, March 1, p. 2
..................
7. GURAM SHARADZE'S ARGUMENT PROVED A LIE AS USUAL
MP Guram Sharadze, who initiated a campaign to restore the ethnicity
item in the citizen's ID, has repeatedly claimed that Akaki
Ramishvili, chairman of the 1918-21 Georgian government Noah
Ramishvili's son, has lived all his life in emigration without a
passport in order to preserve his ethnic identity. However, in his
letter to the Georgian parliament Akaki Ramishvili says he has had a
British passport for the last 50 years but feels Georgian. Sharadze
retorted that the centenarian's memory failed.
Geno Djokhadze. "Resonance" No. 53, February 27, p. 2
------------------------
March 2, 1999
1. NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE "ANNOUNCED
REPATRIATION"
A dozen buses marked "Ochamchire", "Sukhumi", "Gagra" etc. were
waiting for Georgian refugees on the Abkhazian bank on March 1.
However, only 67 refugees, including 12 from Sukhumi and Ochamchire
(the others were from the Gali district), passed the main bridge over
the Enguri river yesterday. According to some media reports, some more
refugees returned to the Abkhaz territory through other check-points.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 44, March 2, p. 1
2. FOR THE TIME BEING, THE REFUGEES RESCUED SHEVARDNADZE'S "THRONE":
THE HOMELESS PEOPLE PREFERRED SHEVARDNADZE'S DREARY PROMISES TO GOING
OVER TO THE ENEMY
According to Avtandil Ioseliani, head of the State Intelligence
Department, 200 refugees out of those who had returned to the Gali
district of Abkhazia got back to Zugdidi by March 1; 35 refugees
returned to Abkhazia on March 1 but only seven of them had passed
registration for permanent residence.
Zviad Pochkhua. "Resonance" No. 56, March 2, pp. 1, 2
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