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“Labor Party cancels planned protest rallies”

Akhali Taoba reports that the populist Labor Party is calling off planned street protests.

Party member Nestan Kirtadze said Labor is now running an election campaign.

“The only way out from the current situation was to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections. Unfortunately, the rest of the opposition did not support out proposal. So we’ve decided to launch an active election campaign instead of organizing protests,” Kirtadze said.



“Kakha Katsitadze: The country does not have a defense policy!”

Mteli Kvira interviews military analyst Kakha Katsitadze, who had little good to say about the government’s military buildup efforts.

He advises the government to formulate a coherent defense policy and announce it as a key priority for the state. That is crucially important for Georgia in neutralizing possible dangers, he said. He also criticized the government’s recent weaponry purchases.

“Military equipment the Defense Ministry purchased over the last two years are not modern but on the contrary,” the analyst told the newspaper.

Katsitadze said the money could have been better spent on social programs.



“Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II again called on the opposition and the administration to renew dialogue”

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II once again called on the opposition and the administration to reach a political compromise, Sakartvelos Respublika writes.

He spoke about the importance of renewing dialogue at his weekly sermon on March 30.

“I want to express my satisfaction that the opposition coalition members stopped hunger striking and I want to believe that the opposition and the ruling majority will make a decision which is profitable for Georgia,” the Patriarch said.



“Georgian Academy warns the government of a possible rebellion”

Akhali Taoba reports that the Georgian Academy issued a statement warning that the political situation is more tense after the end of the opposition hunger strike.

In its statement the Georgian Academy, which is an NGO for the self-described Georgian intelligentsia, accused the government of manipulating the Church.

“The ruling majority unfairly uses the Orthodox Church to achieve its political aims. The opposition considered the Patriarch’s advice and obeyed him. But the authorities use all this for their political motives,” the statement reads.

Georgian voters should do their best to prevent election rigging in May, the statement continues.

“We want to warn the current administration to hold democratic and fair elections and not make the Georgian people rebel against tyranny and oppression,” the NGO said.



“Georgian tourist companies took part in a tourism exhibition in Washington”

From March 29–30 the tourism department participated in an international tourism exhibition in the United States, Sakartvelos Respublika reports.

According to the tourism department, Georgian companies Inter Tour and Media Tour took part in the show.