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The News in Brief

Tuesday, October 18
Second round of majoritarian elections to be held on October 30

Georgia’s Central Election Commission has determined the date of the second round and repeated voting. As reported by the CEC press-service, the second rounds of the parliamentary elections will be held on October 30 in 50 constituencies.

As for repeated voting it will be held on October 22. As reported by CEC, majoritarian elections will be held at #36 constituency, ?36.22.48 polling station (Marneuli) and both majoritarian and governor’s elections will be held at three polling stations of Zugdidi.

The Central Election Commission will issue legal acts after the relevant procedures are finished.
(IPN)



The issue of finding a new prime minister is not on the agenda - Eka Beselia

Parliament's Human Rights Committee Chairwoman Eka Beselia denies reports according to which Giorgi Kvirikashvili will take the Parliament Speaker’s post.

As she told reporters, the issue of finding a new prime minister is not on the agenda.

"Giorgi Kvirikashvili is a Prime Minister who has lead his team successfully. The issue of finding a new prime minister is not on the agenda. Giorgi Kvirikashvili is the best candidate for prime minister who can lead a government even under the current challenges,” Beselia told reporters.

According to her, the consideration of a candidate for Parliament Speaker will be launched after the second round of elections.
(ipn)



French Frigate Makes Port Visit in Batumi

The French frigate Premier-Maitre L’Her arrived in Batumi on Georgia’s Black Sea coast on October 17 for a three-day port visit as part of “bilateral French-Georgian defense cooperation,” the embassy of France in Tbilisi said.

Joint diving training exercises with the Georgian coast guard will be held on October 18 and a naval boarding exercise is scheduled for October 19, according to the French embassy.

Premier-Maitre L’Her is an A69 type vessel, designed mainly for coastal anti-submarine defence, which are also deployed for high sea escort missions.

The announcement about the planned port visit of the French navy ship was first made in September, when French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drianvisited Georgia.

French naval vessels made port visits in Batumi three times between April and September of 2014 – the light stealth frigate FS Surcouf, the intelligence-gathering ship Dupuy de Lome, and Commandant Birot (F 796).
(Civil.ge)



Escaped burglar arrested in Tbilisi with jewelry from new heist

A Georgian robber who escaped from a court building in August by feigning an illness was caught on Sunday with jewelry from a recent heist.

Otar Varamashvili escaped from Rustavi City Court on August 31 by claiming he was ill and running away during the medical examination.

He was caught in a Tbilisi restaurant on Sunday.

According to Ministry of Internal Affairs, the convict was serving a sentence at Prison No 16 in Rustavi, a town 20km south of the capital. He was convicted of burglary, robbery and attempted theft.

Police found golden bracelets, crosses, earrings and rings when he was arrested, items allegedly stolen during a jewelry heist in a shop in Tbilisi.

Varamashvili will now face a new charge of escaping from prison.
(DF watch)