The messenger logo

The News in Brief

Thursday, August 16
9-year-old boy kidnapped in Gali district

9-year-old Beka Chaava was kidnapped from the village of Kvemo Bargebi, in the Gali district. The head of the Office of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia in Samegrelo and Upper Svaneti, Tornike Kilanava informed InterPressNews about this incident.

According to him, the child was abducted from his home. The boy was home alone at the time.

“Five armed men in masks entered the home of the Chaavas’ and kidnapped the child and disappeared into an unknown direction. The kidnappers have yet to contact the boy’s family, and therefore it’s unknown where the child may be,” said Kilanava. (IPN)



PM introduces new ministers to their staffs

The Prime Minister of Georgia introduced the new ministers of finance and energy to the staffs of the two ministries yesterday. Vano Merabishvili went to each ministry together with Aleksandre Khetaguri and Vakhtang Balavadze. In addition, the prime minister also announced that Dimitri Gvinadze has been appointed as the deputy head of the Partnership Fund.

The prime minister said the work of the Partnership Fund should become a basis for Georgia’s economic progress. “A large part of our programs and plans should be implemented by your structures. Thanks to you, the export of Georgian products should be facilitated, which will become a guarantee for Georgian farmers and they will have more interest in growing their industry,” Vano Merabishvili said. Dimitri Gvindadze also made some comments after the meeting with the prime minister.”The Partnership Fund works on large-scale infrastructure project implementation. This includes the construction of hydro-electric power plants, various types of economic infrastructure projects, as well as agriculture infrastructure. I will be involved in the implementation of these projects entirely,” Gvindadze said. (Rustavi 2)



Vano Merabishvili speaks on budget

“There are no countries in the world– even those that are in possession of gas and oil, that could increase its budget twenty times for seven years,” said the Prime Minister of Georgia, Vano Merabishvili, during his introduction of Alexander Khetaguri to the post of Finance Minister.

According to Merabishvili, however, this is not enough, that’s why the course taken by the Georgian government should be followed further. “All the promises we gave to our citizens should be fulfilled. Aleko Khetaguri has a routine and at the same time, efficient experience. This will enable us to maintain the growth that we had up to now,” said Merabishvili. (IPN)



Georgian Dream urges CEC to remove inscribed voters from voter list

The Georgian Dream Coalition is urging the CEC to remove the so-called inscribed voters from the unified voter list. Georgian Dream member Zakaria Kutsnashvili said that there are 189,000 `inscribed` voters on the list who do not have the right to vote. Kutsnashvili accuses the government of attempting to legally rig the elections. “The Georgian parliament should adopt amendments to the Election Code of Georgia. The person that has had his registration nullified under the request of an owner of an apartment and the decision of the Ministry of Justice should not be included on the list of voters with the previous address of registration. The number of such voters is currently 189,000. As for the voters, who have sold their houses and have not nullified their registration address; they must vote according to a current address or undergo registration with the consent of the current owners. In the case that they have no current place of residence, or the new owner refuses to register him at their place of residence, they should undergo registration in the public register offices in the cities or regions and take the status of “voter without a registered address,” Kutsnashvili said. (Rustavi 2)



Inga Grigolia will announce her phone number soon

Inga Grigolia, a Majoitarian MP candidate from the Democratic Movement, will announce her cell-phone number in a few days. She says any voter from the Gldani district will be able to contact her and tell her about the problems that are topical in this district. “In two days, I will announce my personal telephone number, with which any resident of the Gldani district will be able to call me on and talk with me without any assistant. I want to propose to my supporters to create the list of the most topical problems together,” Inga Grigolia announced at the press conference held at the Prime Time Press Club yesterday. The candidate also said that her only rival in this district will be from the ruling party. (Rustavi 2)



Youth wing of Georgian Dream coalition rallied at government’s chancellery

The youth wing of the Georgian Dream Coalition rallied at the government`s chancellery yesterday, objecting to the amount of compensation issued to the farmers in the disaster-affected Kakheti Region. Young members of the political organization call on the government to spend the 80 million GEL transferred to the state budget by Bidzina Ivanishvili on the assistance to the affected families.

“We have a very specific question– where is the 80 million GEL that Bidzina Ivanishvili transferred into the state budget? In fact, these funds have not reached Kakheti and the farmers living there. The compensation issued by the government to the affected families in Kakheti is incompatible with the damage inflicted on them,” Tsotne Zurabiani said. (Rustavi 2)



Charles Aznavour in Georgia

French singer of Armenian origin, songwriter and actor, Charles Aznavour, arrived in Georgia yesterday. He plans to hold a concert in Akhaltsikhe on Friday. The rehabilitated part of the city will be presented then. Charles Aznavour will sing in the oldest quarter of the city of Rabat.

This is his third visit to Georgia. The singer is being hosted by Tbilisi’s Marriot. (Rustavi 2)