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Compiled by Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, December 11
All refugees from Abkhazia will get living space

Akhali Taoba reports that Minister of Refugees and resettlement Koba Subeliani has said that by the end of 2011 all the families which fled Abkhazia during the war will be given living space.

The identification of buildings who could house Abkhazian refugees has already started and at present 15,000 families have their own houses and flats. "If we continue at this rate, by the end of 2011 all Abkhazian refugee families will have living spaces and live in decent conditions until they return to Abkhazia,” Subeliani stated.



Statue of Neptune to replace Ilia Chavchavadze’s monument in Batumi

Rezonansi reports that a representative of the Batumi branch of the Labour Party, Davit Robakidze has stated that the Ilia Chavchavadze monument in front of the Batumi Opera and Ballet Theatre is to be replaced with the naked figure of Neptune and a fountain.

"We have already protested about this at a Batumi City Council meeting and found that most of the council members had no idea this was happening. However council head Giorgi Kirtadze had been informed. I do not think Batumi citizens want to see a statue of a naked Neptune instead of the Chavchavadze monument. The Labour Party is sure that this decision has been made by the President, Mikheil Saakashvili, as without his approval no one would dare do this. If the citizens intend to protest against it, we will stand with them,” Robakidze said.

The head of the National Movement in Batumi, Nodar Dumbadze, has said that putting a fountain in front of the Opera and Ballet Theatre had been confirmed but not the statue of Neptune. "As Batumi is a tourist city our priority is to develop the tourist infrastructure here and that is why there has been discussion about erecting a statue of Neptune, but no decision has been made yet. Perhaps, there will be only a fountain, without the statue,” Dumbadze said.



Cell Number 5 to end?

The TV programme, Cell Number 5 has been suspended for one month, according to its star Gia Gachechiladze, who says this decision is connected with the Christmas fast. However according to other sources it will not return.

The channel's administration is making no comment on this. An official statement will probably be made by Maestro’s General Director, Erosi Kitsmarishvili, but he is abroad at present. Sources say that the fate of the programme completely depends on Kitsmarishvili and its removal is his personal initiative.

Maestro's founder, Mamuka Ghlonti, has denied this. "Nothing here depends only on Kitsmarishvili, a decision about this programme will be made by the administration, founder and star together. Furthermore I have a right of veto, which is why these rumours lack truth,” Ghlonti stated.