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
July 27, 1999
................
2. THE SITTING OF THE CO-ORDINATION COUNCIL DELAYED
According to Henri Djergenia, Vladislav Ardzinba's representative at
the Abkhaz-Georgian talks, the next sitting of the Co-ordination
Council in the framework of the Geneva process scheduled for July 29
has been postponed. He said it would take place in Tbilisi early in
August.
Iprinda news agency. "Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 168, July 27, p. 3
3. "SHEVARDNADZE FAILED UNDER JEHOVAH WITNESSES' INFLUENCE"
At his yesterday's press conference Guram Sharadze, the chairman of
the parliamentary migration committee and the movement Georgia Above
All, told the journalists that the regional court chaired by Judge
Lamara Kobaladze had cancelled the registration of the sect of Jehovah
Witnesses. The latter influence even the president - through Mrs
Rusudan Beridze, secretary for human rights of the National Security
Council, and Mrs Elena Tevdoradze, the chair of the parliamentary
penitentiary subcommittee, who lobby the interests of convicted
criminals, he said.
George Kapanadze. "Resonance" No. 202, July 27, p. 3
------------------------
July 28, 1999
................
2. A SENSATION IN THE SETTLEMENT OF THE ABKHAZIAN CONFLICT
The last multilateral meeting on settling the Abkhazian conflict,
held in Istanbul, resolved to set up a
standing group of the Georgian-Abkhaz co-ordination commission with
offices in Tbilisi and Sukhumi. The offices, which will be financed by
the UN, will maintain constant communication with each other. They
will be administered by Zurab Lakerbaia, the Georgian president's
representative in Abkhazia and executive secretary of the
Georgian-Abkhaz commission, the report goes.
Iprinda news agency. "Shvidi Dge" No. 87, July 28-29, p. 3
------------------------
July 29, 1999
1. THE ANATOMY OF GENOCIDE
The newspapers publish the full text of the Procurator-General's
report produced at the recent international seminar in Tbilisi on
genocide in Abkhazia. According to the incomplete data available, at
least 5,738 ethnic
Georgians were killed during the conflict in Abkhazia, including 706
women and 70 children (more than 50% of the lost are elders); 267,345
people were expelled from Abkhazia; 600 people are missing. The total
damage amounts to $10.7 billion.
"Sakartvelos Respublika" No. 201, July 29, pp. 1, 3-5
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 170, July 29, pp. 1, 3-6
2. THE STATEMENT OF THE AD HOC PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION FOR THE
PROBLEM OF ABKHAZIA
The ad hoc parliamentary commission for the problem of Abkhazia
declares that the forthcoming presidential
elections in Abkhazia (scheduled for October 3), carried out before
the conflict is settled completely, would violate general norms of the
international law. The commission hopes that the July 31 session of
the UN Security Council will properly assess the fact and qualify the
crimes committed in Abkhazia, according to
international law.
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 170, July 29, p. 1
3. WHOM WILL THE OMBUDSMAN'S CHAIR FIT?
Since Ombudsman David Salaridze is going to run the coming
parliamentary elections and must relinquish the post according to the
law, 16 NGOs have gathered in former political prisoner David
Berdzenishvili's office in the National Library yesterday to tell what
kind of person they wish to see at the post. Three names were given:
Paata Zakareishvili, a member of the parliamentary human rights
committee; Vasil Maglaperidze, the founder of the independent
newspaper "Kavkasioni"; and David Usupashvili, former chairman of the
Young Lawyers' Association. The NGOs' proposal aims to prevent a
police general or a procurator from being assigned to the post. There
is little hope that the president will consent to any of the
candidacies proposed, though.
"Droni" No. 82, July 29, p. 2
------------------------
July 30, 1999
1. ARDZINBA GETTING READY FOR ELECTIONS
In his address to the population of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba, the
president of the self-proclaimed Abkhaz republic, called upon the
voters to participate actively in the coming presidential elections.
He blamed Tbilisi for interfering in Abkhazia's domestic affairs when
claiming the elections to be illegal. The Georgians, who had ravaged
Abkhazia, wrecked its economy and launched the genocide of the Abkhaz
people in 1992-93, had no moral right to make such statements, he
said.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 88, July 30-31, p. 2
2. THE RUSSIANS QUITE UNAWARE ONCE AGAIN
A spokesman of the Russian foreign ministry says Georgia has no chance
to persuade the UN Security Council to qualify the Georgian-Abkhazian
conflict as genocide of the Georgians in Abkhazia. He says Tbilisi has
provided not enough evidence to give proof of genocide so far; so
Moscow cannot support Tbilisi's position at the Security Council.
Gea news agency. "Resonance" No. 205, July 30, p. 3
3. EVEN HEROES MAY BE MISTAKEN
The left-wingers got embarrassed by the leader of the United Communist
Party Panteleimon Giorgadze's statement that the Abkhaz have the right
to elect a president and a parliament for themselves. MP Vakhtang
Goguadze, famous for his pro-Russian views, who had declared Giorgadze
hero of the year 1998, attempted to excuse him.
Gea news agency. "Resonance" No. 205, July 30, p. 1
4. THE KARS TREATY IS NOT A DANGER TO GEORGIA'S SOVEREIGNTY
Aslan Abashidze, the Adjarian leader, had warned the central
government that he would declare Adjaria a free economic zone in
accordance with an article of the Kars Treaty (signed by Turkey and
Soviet Russia in 1921). Commenting on the statement, the Turkish
ambassador to Georgia said his government was not going to interfere
in the conflict between Tbilisi and Batumi or demand the
implementation of the article.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 88, July 30-31, p. 2
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