Georgian press digest: excerpts
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Subject: Georgian press digest: excerpts
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
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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
July 19, 1999
1. ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY WILL NOT BE DECLARED STATE RELIGION
A law on religious bodies has not been adopted yet in Georgia but a
draft agreement between the State and the Orthodox Patriarchate is
ready. Nothing is known about its content, however, except that the
Church retains its autonomy and the status of juridical person, which
nobody called in question. Constantine Kokoyev, the chairman of the
parliamentary human rights committee, just told journalists that the
draft had resulted from a consensus between the Church, Parliament and
government. The concordat to regulate their relations for a
semi-centennial period is to be signed by the President and the
Catholicos Patriarch.
Maia Razmadze, Nana Kavelashvili. "Shvidi Dge" No. 83, July 19-20
2. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO SPEAK ABOUT THE STATUS!
Any talks of the future status of South Ossetia make no sense until
we know something about the future federal striker of the Georgian
state, Ludvig Chibirov, the president of the self-proclaimed South
Ossetian republic, told journalists. In his opinion, to begin with,
one must first draft some amendments to the constitutions of Georgia,
South Ossetia, Adjaria and Abkhazia; then the issue should be tackled
by experts, and only the next stage may result in an interim
agreement.
Gea news agency. "Resonance" No. 194, July 19, p. 3
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July 21, 1999
.......................
2. AN INCIDENT IN ADJARIA
On July 19, after the driver of a Tbilisi-Batumi bus was insulted by
patrol officers at a check point on the administrative border of
Adjaria, the quarrel went on in political terms and resulted in
physical violence against the driver and passengers, including some
women. On their arrival in Adjaria, the passengers first blocked a
highway in the town of Kobuleti and then picketed the Batumi
Procurator's Office, demanding to punish the offenders.
Iprinda news agency. "Meridiani 44" No. 84, July 21-23, p. 1
3. RCHEULISHVILI MAKING LOUD STATEMENTS
Passions flares up at yesterday's parliamentary session when Vakhtang
Rcheulishvili, the leader of the Socialist Party, said the Adjarian
population was awaiting an assault from Tbilisi and likened the
situation in that province with that in Abkhazia in 1992. Mr Zhvania,
the chairman of the parliament, named him a "regular provocateur on
the staff "and switched off his microphone.
Mariam Natroshvili. "Dilis Gazeti" No. 164, July 21, p. 5
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