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The News in Brief

Thursday, March 5
Davit Bakradze –Society has a right to know the funders of political parties

Davit Bakradze, the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, has declared that society has a right to know the financial sources of political parties.

As he stated to journalists yesterday, in every democratic state society has a right to know where the funds of political parties come from. “I do not understand why any party negatively perceives the President’s statement regarding the controlling and monitoring of the funds of political parties,” Davit Bakradze noted.

“Politicians in Georgia have a lot of money. This money comes from different sources and we are going to resolve this problem,” the President remarked at a meeting with the workers of the Tbilisi Electro-Rolling-Stock Repair Plant on Tuesday. (Interpressnews)



PM sets out for Brussels

Nika Gilauri, the Prime Minister of Georgia, is now in Brussels. A meeting with Javier Solana, the EU's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, is planned.

“Many issues, including free trade and the simplification of the visa regime, will be discussed at the meeting,”the PM of Georgia remarked.

Nika Gilauri will also meet Benita Ferrero–Waldner, the European Commissioner for External Relations and the European Neighbourhood Policy, and speak tete-a-tete with Jaap De Hoop Scheffer, the NATO Secretary General. On March 5 a meeting of Foreign Ministers of NATO member states and a session of the NATO-Georgia Commission are due to be held. (Interpressnews)



Irakli Alasania holds meetings in Brussels

The leader of the Alliance for Georgia, Irakli Alasania, is holding meetings in Brussels, the Press Centre of the Alliance told Interpressnews.

Yesterday Irakli Alasania met Javier Solana. The sides discussed the process of democratic development in Georgia. Irakli Alasania will return to Tbilisi in the next days. (Interpressnews)



Part of Dighomi left without gas supply

Due to damage to the gas pipeline, blocks 5 and 6 of the Dighomi mcr. I and II have been left without gas supply. The KazTransGas company has reported that it is still unknown when exactly the gas supply will be resumed.

KazTransGas apologizes to its subscribers for this discomfort and calls on the residents of the blocks to be careful and keep the gas taps closed. (Interpressnews)



Georgian opposition parties launch rally demanding President`s resignation

Georgian opposition parties have begun what they call their Box Rally, in which boxes have been installed outside metro stations of Tbilisi. The local population can use these boxes to express their support for the April 9 demonstrations and demand President Saakashvili`s resignation.

Special bulletins will be dropped into the boxes. Those who wish to protest should write their names and phone numbers on the bulletins.

The installation of the boxes has been greeted by a variety of opinions. (Rustavi 2)



Labour Party nominates Presidential candidate

The Political Committee of the Labour Party of Georgia has nominated Shalva Natelashvili, the leader of the party, as its Presidential candidate. Giorgi Gugava, the party’s Political Secretary, told journalists yesterday that the only way to save the country is to replace the present Government.

“Our party is ready to take responsibility before the people and homeland and confirm the decisions taken in 2003 and 2007. It nominates Shalva Natelashvili, the implacable opponent of the current regime, as its Presidential candidate,” Gugava said. (Rustavi 2)