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Compiled by Londa Mindiashvili
Friday, March 6
Moscow and Tskhinvali argue over money

Rezonansi reports, citing Russian newspaper Kommersant, that official Moscow does not trust the Kokoity regime and thinks that 10 million roubles granted to the republic has been spent to no good purpose. Vladimir Putin has ordered the Treasury Department to sign a treaty with the so-called republic on “the principles of financial aid for national restoration.”

A meeting concerning South Ossetia aid was held last Friday. South Ossetia claims it has not yet received more than half the 10 million roubles Russia is concerned about.

“The Moscow-Tskhinvali aid argument has already created serious destabilization in South Ossetia. There is no money in the republic, so people have not received their wages, including members of the Government. This is highly likely to cause some broader problems,” Hasan Pliev, the de facto First Deputy Premier of South Ossetia, stated in Kommersant.

Mamuka Areshidze, a Georgian political commentator, says: “The money is being wasted in different departments by officials. This is because Kokoity has a serious lobby in Russia. The President of North Ossetia Mamsurov is exceptionally active on his behalf. Kokoity has friends and advocates in the Council of the Federation and Parliament.

“Official Moscow made Kokoity appoint its candidate as Minister of Finance. In reply Kokoity created the Financial-Economic Council.” Kokoity is the head of this council and the Minister of Finance is his subordinate.

“A huge amount of humanitarian aid has been lost in this period. Putin can only delay it but soon he will have to send the money to South Ossetia. Russia takes North Ossetia into consideration here because North Ossetia is its main base in the Caucasus. Russia does not want to offend them.

“Humanitarian aid does not enter Tskhinvali currently. It has been sent to Akhalgori. There are huge amounts of humanitarian aid in Akhalgori but nothing in Tskhinvali. This has caused such serious excesses that Kokoity does not go there,” added Areshidze.



Nino Burjanadze’s party founds regional organizations

Akhali Taoba reports that Nino Burjanadze’s party, the Democratic Movement for United Georgia, has founded regional organizations in Kakheti and Telavi.

The party’s Kakheti regional organization constituent assembly was formed three days ago. The party presented Davit Savaneli as its head in Kakheti and Pikria Kushitashvili as the head of its Telavi regional organization. It has opened an office in Telavi.

Nino Burjanadze addressed members of the Kakheti constituent assembly. She talked about the situation in Georgia and highlighted the problems in the regions, specifically in Kakheti. Burjanadze considers that the cause of problems in the regions is the wrong policy and said that unprofessional people are working there.

Burjanadze said that the Government’s policy of paying people to cut down their vines in Kakheti is criminal. She added that Kakheti, like other regions, is disturbed by unfairness.

The Democratic Movement for United Georgia already has regional offices in Samegrelo, Adjara, Imereti, Kvemo and Shida Kartli. It is also due to establish a regional organization in Guria.



Wolves seen in Shida Kartli villages

Wolves have appeared several times in the last two weeks in Variani, Mejvriskhevi, and Karaleti, villages of Shida Kartli. They have attacked cattle, Akhali Taoba writes.

People in the Gori region say that the wolves came out of the forest and ate corpses after the August war before Georgian control of the area was reestablished. The wolves’ aggression against the population is very noticeable nowadays.

The population killed one of a pack of wolves walking around Karaleti on Wednesday. They have demanded that the Government exterminate the animals.