Georgian digest: excerpts
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Subject: Georgian digest: excerpts
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Georgian 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
March 4, 1999
1. SUKHUMI WARNS THE REFUGEES
According to Astamur Tania, the Abkhaz leader Vladislav Ardzinba's
advisor, 167 Georgian refugees have returned to the Gali district of
Abkhazia since March 1. Sukhumi claims that a picket of the central
bridge over the Enguri River was organised not by the refugees but by
the Georgian police anxious to prevent the refugees from getting back
to Abkhazia. We do not guarantee safety to those refugees who return
spontaneously to the Gali district without registration by Abkhazian
authorities, Otar Kakalia, the chairman of an Abkhazian ad hoc
commission for refugees, says.
Dato Djibuti. "Resonance" No. 57, March 3, pp. 1, 2
------------------------
March 5, 1999
...................
2. THE CIVIC FORUM APPEALS TO ALL GEORGIA
The appeal signed by numerous public figures, scholars,
representatives of mass media and NGOs warns the Georgian society
against the double danger of both "Bolshevik" and "pseudo-patriotic"
(nationalist) forces aiming at revenge. The authors call upon all
those concerned with the destiny of civil society and democratic
development of Georgia to rally in the Tbilisi Concert Hall on March
16: a new public body, Civic Forum, is being set up.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 26, March 5, p. 4
...................
5. MAMULIA DID NOT COME TO THE COURT
The proceedings that the head of the repatriation service Guram
Mamulia has instituted against deputy head of the State Chancellery
David Qipiani are still dragging on, in spite of the fact that
Mtatsminda district court decided the case in the plaintiff's favour.
Mr Mamulia accuses the official of deliberately delaying Meskhetian
Magomed Suleimanov's application for Georgian nationality. Qipiani's
lawyer pleads that the Ministry of Justice had failed to submit all
the necessary documents in time and that is why the chancellery had to
suspend the application. Yesterday's hearing was postponed till March
5, as Mr Mamulia did not come to the court.
Gea news agency. "Akhali Taoba" No. 61, March 5, p. 2
------------------------
March 8, 1999
1. THE SYSTEM TO DISCREDIT ADJARIA AND ITS LEADER STILL WORKS
In his interview with the newspaper Aslan Abashidze, the Adjarian
leader, repeats his accusations against the
"anti-popular Georgian government" and Georgian mass media, charging
the former with plotting conspiracies against Adjaria and its
leadership and blaming the latter for information war. He keeps
claiming that he has documentary evidence to prove several acts of
terrorism and invasions into Ajaria planned by Tbilisi.
Nino Ratishvili. "Akhali Taoba" No. 64, March 8, pp. 1-3
2. "I'LL DO MY BEST TO FOIL THE ELECTIONS"
In his interview with the newspaper Mr Zurab Samushia, the commander
of the Georgian guerrilla unit "While Legion" operating in the Gali
district of Abkhazia, says he will do his best to foil the coming
parliamentary and presidential elections in Abkhazia schedulled for
this autumn as he considers them illegal. He says Sukhumi may use the
repatriation of the refugees to the Gali district to discredit the
guerrillas: if it leads to a new bloodshed, the Abkhaz authorities
will shift the blame on the guerrillas.
Nino Samkharadze. "Alia" No. 37, March 8, p. 3
------------------------
March 9, 1999
1. "WE WILL NOT PROLONG THE MANDATE OF THE RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS"
Yesterday State Minister Vazha Lortkipanidze met with the refugees who
have been picketing the main bridge over the Enguri river in protest
against Sukhumi's unilateral initiative of repatriating the refugees
since March 1. One of their demands being withdrawal of the Russian
peacekeepers, Lortkipanidze said the peacekeepers' mandate would be
not prolonged but they must be replaced with Ukrainian, Azeri, Kazakh
or other peacekeepers, as otherwise Sukhumi might deploy North
Caucasian paramilitary units in the conflict zone after the Russians
withdrew.
Lado Kiria. "Droni" No. 24, March 9-11, p. 3
2. CHIEF OF THE MILITIA APPOINTED IN GALI
Vadim Gvindjia has been appointed chief of the militia of the Gali
district of Abkhazia. His predecessor was allegedly dismissed for his
loyalty to the Georgians. In his interview with the Abkhaz TV Ruslan
Kishmaria, the head of the Gali district administration, said he was
satisfied with the appointment of Gvindjia who, in his words, had did
excellently during the war in Abkhazia.
Kavkaz-press agency. "Dilis Gazeti" No. 50, March 9, p. 2
3. A NEW INTRIGUE NAMED "SAMEGRELO"
The constituent congress of the new public movement "Revival of
Samegrelo" was held in Poti. The speakers gratified the audience with
declarations like "Megrelians originated the Greek alphabet!"
"Megrelians took part in the creation of the Roman alphabet!" "There
are 9 million words in the Megrelian language!" etc. Aslan Abashidze
says that Tbilisi hopes that the new movement may win over supporters
of his party, Union for Democratic Revival. Tbilisi suspects it was
set up by himself as a satellite pro-Batumi party. (The initiator of
the movement, Mr Alexander Chachia, was his favourite up to recently.
Nobody had heard of him before he came from Moscow to lead the
electoral campaign of Djumber Patiashvili, former secretary of the
Central Committee of the Georgian Communist Party, in 1995.)
George Asanishvili. "Dilis Gazeti" No. 50, March 9, p. 1
------------------------
March 11, 1999
...................
3. AN ANTI-FASCIST AND ANTI-BOLSHEVIK CAMPAIGN GAINING STRENGTH IN
GEORGIA
The initiative group of the "Civil Forum" which aims to prevent
renewal of Communism and nationalism in the country and support its
democratic development held a press-conference yesterday. Boris
Kakubava, one of the leaders of the refugees from Abkhazia, threatened
to spoil the Forum's congress scheduled for March 16.
Aleko Tskitishvili. "Resonance" NO. 65, March 11, p. 3
------------------------
March 15, 1999
1. DEMOCRACY OR A GAME OF DEMOCRACY
The February 12 conference initiated by the Georgian parliament and
NGOs of Muslim Meskhetians resolved that Georgia should repeal a
discrimination law on deported Meskhetians, resume activities of the
adaptation centre for young Muslim Meskhetians and adopt a legislation
that will provide the Muslim Meskhetians with duty-free application
for Georgian nationality.
Prime-News agency. "Droni" No. 26, March 13-16, p. 5
2. CAUCASIANS DO NOT WANT RUSSIANS ANY LONGER
The chairmen of the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian parliaments are
holding a summit talk in Strasbourg today. This is the first time
since 1989 the Armenian and Azeri officials meet without Russia's
patronage. Apart from the leaders of the three parliaments, only
representatives of the Council of Europe will attend the meeting.
Lali Shalvashvili. "Resonance" No. 68, March 15, pp. 1, 2
3. ADJARIA DECIDED TO GIVE UP NURSING A GRUDGE AGAINST TBILISI
The representative of Adjaria in Tbilisi said yesterday that the
parliamentary faction of the Union for Democratic Revival (the
Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze's party) may give up boycotting
parliamentary sessions. The boycott has lasted for almost an year and
was triggered by confrontation between Tbilisi and Batumi. Now, the
Adjarian leadership seems to have grown aware that it would be hardly
prudent to abstain from parliamentary debates over the country's state
budget and amendments to the election legislation.
Zviad Pochkhua. "Resonance" No. 68, March 15, p. 2
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