The messenger logo

Press Scanner

Compiled by Salome Modebadze
Wednesday, December 24
False promises, endless false

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that members of the Kakheti regional branches of the New Rights and Republican parties have accused President Mikheil Saakashvili and Telavi MP Gia Arsenishvili of falsehood.

Giorgi Mosiashvili, from the Republicans, has stated that the public announcement made by Mikheil Saakashvili concerning the rehabilitation of the Telavi-Gombori-Tbilisi highway was a complete lie. “You can go there and see for yourself that the President lied. No rehabilitation work was ever started there,” Mosiashvili stated.

Arsenishvili, the parties say, promised the local population he would provide the villages with gas but the necessary work hasn’t even been organized yet.



The political analysis of a hard 2008

Mteli Kvira writes about the political analysis of the events of 2008 made by Ramaz Sakvarelidze.

“The opposition representatives, along with Paata Davitaia of the United Opposition, who have entered Parliament seem to have difficulty opposing the Government on many important issues. Davitaia isn’t mistaken in his comments but speaks according to the agenda of the party which introduced him to Parliament. This is particularly true as his performance as head of the Temporary Parliamentary Commission.

“Davitaia has damaged his own political career. The Commission had to present the verdict of the Government, which didn’t even wait for the Commission’s conclusion before changing Ministers. The verdict of the Commission was that the war in August was the fault of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Government continued claiming that Russia had been preparing for the war all year. The most important events of 2008 were the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, along with the August war,” Sakvarelidze noted.



Poacher, stop!!!

The Environmental Defence Police has been presented with a launch supplied with modern equipment with which to control the Black Sea area, Sakartvelos Respublika writes.

The presentation ceremony was attended by Giorgi Khachidze, Minister of Environmental Defence. “We didn’t have such a fast, maneouverable, and comfortable launch before. It will help our staff control the Black Sea area more efficiently and identify instances of illegal fishing. High speed is the launch’s main asset. The Environment Defence Police will soon be equipped with more equipment, cars and all the things which will give our staff better conditions to work in and help them do their jobs even more effectively,” Khachidze stated.

The new launch cost EURO 250,000 and will be used to patrol Batumi and Poti daily.



Subari requests TV time for investigative journalism

Sozar Subari, the Public Defender, has requested time for investigative TV programmes made by journalists on the new First Channel, Kviris Palitra reports.

The Public Defender addressed Levan Kubaneishvili, the General Director of the channel. He proposed that specific time be laid aside for investigative programmes made by independent studios. Subari also highlighted the importance of public discussions around the issues raised in each programme.

The Public Defender said that such programmes will engender deeper consideration of the issues and a proper reaction to them. They will also underpin human rights defence and democratic reforms.