Press Digest 17.10.2014
Two more failures of the Dream Government on international scene
Government has its weak points and it really needs new blood and new faces – Gia Khukhashvili
As many as 200 officials dismissed from City Hall, many more are still to be fired
***
Two more failures of the Dream Government on international scene
"Davit Kezerashvili and now Data Akhalaia – European Courts have categorically refused to extradite the felons back to Georgia. However, before the European Court rendered the verdict, the leaders of the Georgian Dream Coalition bellowed across the country that the former high officials, Kezerashvili as well as Data Akhalaia, were guilty. In addition to this, the Prosecutor’s Office has also collected strong evidence against the offenders and the Western leaders have stopped crediting the lies from the Nationals’ lobbyist,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.
“After they refused to extradite Kezerashvili back to Georgia, Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani, held the highest-paid French lawyers accountable for this. “I am sorry that the French Prosecutor has proven unable to hold his ground against Kezerashvili’s lawyer,” announced Mrs. Tsulukiani. The leaders of the Dream Government maintained in those days that the entire National Movement stood together to “snatch” Mr. Kezerashvili out of the French judge’s hands. Even the former President rushed there to save the main financer of the party. Unlike Kezerashvili, a fuss was not kicked up in Akhalais’s case; however, the judge still handed down a verdict that was favorable for the National Movement,” says the article.
“The Court decided that the Government’s request to extradite the so-called offender back to Georgia was politically motivated,” announces Mr. Akhalaia’s lawyer. As Bacho Akhalia’s spouse, Ani Nadareishvili, informs, Data Akhalaia will remain in Greece for an indefinite period of time as this country has given him political asylum. As they claim within Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office, they have not received an official report regarding the verdict by the Greek Court, and as per them, an announcement will be made only after this report is sent,” reads the paper.
“They have pressed several charges against Data Akhalaia. He was reportedly involved in the so-called Navtlugi special operation as well as Girgvliani’s case. He was detained in Greece several months’ ago, when he tried to move to Italy from Turkey via Greece with a fake passport. They imposed bail in the amount of 100 thousand Euros on Mr. Akhalaia then and freed him later. In relation to this issue, member of the parliamentary majority, Eka Beselia, released a comment as per which it’s the Greek judge’s prerogative to render similar verdicts and she cannot discuss this issue in a political context. However, as former General Prosecutor, Gia Meparishvili, declared, the only reason that pushed the judge to render this verdict is the Dream Government’s inaptitude to pursue the right information policy,” concludes the author of the article.
Government has its weak points and it really needs new blood and new faces – Gia Khukhashvili
"I am not in league with any one. Giorgi Margvelashvili has always been my friend and he will be my friend in the future too. However, if I share Margvelashvili’s position now, it does not mean that I will support him in the future too. If I see that the government is right and Mr. Margvelashvili is wrong, I will take sides with it without hesitation. However, under the present circumstances, Margvelashvili’s position seems much more national than that of the executive government,” asserts expert Gia Khukhashvili in his interview with the Akhali Taoba gazette.
“Generally, disagreements between the different branches of Government are nothing new. Opinion clashes and discrepancy is not also a tragedy. You know if looking from a bit different angle at this issue, this controversy is even good as it can help us avoid authoritarianism. Thus, this type of thing is even auspicious for us. However, on this occasion, personal ambitions must be put aside and light must be thrown on paramount issues. In this particular case, I have been left with an impression that the Government wanted to discredit the President as if he was a nonentity despite the fact that as per the constitution of Georgia, the president is a really important figure,” states the respondent.
“However, now a confrontation between them is not fueled due to some concrete issues. I don’t remember that either Margvelashvili or Gharibashvili have personally abused each other. Mainly their attendants took active steps in this direction, heightened tensions and incited a rift between the two top officials. They have clashed with each other; however, both of them have always been politically correct. The president has set an extremely good example for them by declaring that he would have been immensely glad if the PM had led the Davos delegation. I hope that disagreement between them will be left behind the scenes in the future too,” declares Mr. Khukhashvili.
“In my mind, the Coalition will not be dismantled until 2016 despite the fact that it has always been a chaotic mix of voices. Very often their views are poles apart; however, a feeling of their haplessness unites them. Unfortunately, not even a single party that, by counting on its powers, can show a more or less serious result in the elections is within the coalition today. This overarching feeling of haplessness will not allow them to dismantle their party. Although after the parliamentary elections, when they get their portion of power, the Coalition is expected to collapse. They are likely to participate in the parliamentary elections separately… Whether this way or that the actual fact is that the Government has its weak points and it really needs new blood and new faces,” concludes the expert.
As many as 200 officials dismissed from City Hall, many more are still to be fired
"After the elections, several hundred people have been chased out of Tbilisi City Hall. However, the NGOs expect massive reshufflings within the body from 19 October. As Head of NGO “the Generation for the Truth”, Levan Gakheladze, says, after the attestation held on Sunday, several hundred officials will be dismissed from the body again. The former officials of City Hall have defined their dismissal as illegal. In the wake of this, several people have already brought claims to court,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.
“Head of the Association of Saburtalo Municipality, Shota Elbakidze, was fired on September 15 without any kind of explanation. In the wake of this, he brought a claim to court. “The decree said that I failed to fulfill my responsibilities and I had some deviations. However, I’ve held this position since 2004 and they have never had any kind of complains towards me. Despite this, on 12 September, Deputy Governor, Luka Kankava, ordered me to leave my post. I refused but on 15 September, they presented me with a decree of dismissal. After this I brought a claim to court against them,” maintains Mr. Elbakidze as per which a really great deal of people were forcibly dismissed from Tbilisi City Hall,” says the article.
“No one even cared what I would have done after my dismissal. Actually, this was not their business. They could have told me nothing about this. I have been in charge of the entire Vake-Saburtalo region and no one could have told that I failed to fulfill my duties. I have served as a public figure and toed the line. What I did after my dismissal is only my business and my personal secret which I am not going to give away,” states a man that has recently been dismissed from City Hall.
“At this point in time, around 200 officials have reportedly been dismissed from the City Hall. However, many of these people have voluntarily submitted letters of resignation on their own. After 19 October the body will be purged again. As for court trials, claims have been brought by some people only. The pressure on the employees is really serious; they are permanently being intimidated and ordered to keep silent,” declares Levan Gakheladze.
