NEWS: Georgia News Digest 03-20-08

A service of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

Attached PDF file easily navigable with Bookmarks pane
Archives and associated files at groups.google.com/group/genewsfiles (from February 2008) and groups.google.com/group/genews (before February 2008)

1. Opposition protests outside U.S. Embassy
2. Georgian opposition supporters rally in front of U.S. Embassy
3. Open Letter: Bush should urge investigation into November 7 violence
4. Republicans present their vision of election system
5. Date of parliamentary elections acceptable for opposition
6. Opposition consults on ‘tactics’
7. The President of Georgia made a comment regarding the requests of the Georgian opposition
8. Nino Burjanadze-MP through majority system of the canceled elections
9. Opposition divided on idea of increasing parliamentary seats
10. Political clashes bode ill for parliamentary elections
11. “Labourists” state that “Tbilisi Water” was sold formally
12. Opposition ask for international mediation, with conditions
13. Speculation over plans of Russian billionaire with political aims
14. Because of financial problems Irina Sarishvili cannot collect signatures against Georgia’s NATO integration
15. New political party elects chairman
16. Badri Patarkatsishvili’s widow addressed Georgian population with open letter
17. Imedi TV seized from Patarkatsishvili’s family due to government’s attempt
18. Widow of Georgia's late tycoon wants opposition TV back on air
19. Imedi has been transferred to Kakiashvili, alias Joseph Kay
20. Opposition to rally in support of late tycoon's TV on 24 Mar
21. Government wants to seize Imedi – Patarkatsishvili’s widow
22. Georgian leader looking for NATO boost
23. President signals support for Georgia to join NATO
24. video: Bush dances Georgia towards NATO
25. Today's Saakashvili-Bush summit faces serious obstacles
26. Remarks by President Bush and President Saakashvili of Georgia in photo opportunity
27. Georgian president talks exclusively to CNN
28. Making them sign for their missiles
29. Air communication between Georgia and Russia to be presumably resumed on March 25
30. Russia says ready to resume flights with Georgia next week
31. Movladi Udugov: Putin plans to assassinate Medvedev!
32. Russian ambassador hails positive steps
33. Unpiloted flight
34. Reintegration minister pledges revision of Russian peacekeepers' format
35. General details strength of Russian peacekeeping forces in Georgia, Moldova
36. Will the unrecognized republics be recognized?
37. Russia gives Abkhazia access to Sochi Olympics preparations
38. Georgia mum on details of new Abkhazia proposal
39. Abkhazia solution remains distant for Europe, Russia
40. Georgia seeks changes in Abkhazia
41. Moscow not ready to recognise Abkhazia
42. Separatists say Georgian police keeps Ossetian villages blockaded
43. Public Defender initiates Property Monitoring Commission
44. Free economic zone in Poti – a good idea?
45. Standard Bank sold for USD 42 million
46. Competition announced for Tbilisi’s Avlabari district development plan
47. Georgian Central Bank holds key interest rate at 11%
48. Analyst claims government changed method for measuring poverty
49. Interests conflict-Levan Bezhuashvili is blamed for “social corruption”
50. Salaries were increased in municipality boards and public officials started to drive luxurious cars
51. Houses lost to loan sharks
52. Really: Poverty reduction in 50-days-after-5-Years
53. Consumers’ rights in Georgia
54. A community sold out
55. An appeal of Zugdidi journalists to the administration of the radio “Imedi”
56. A reply from Tbilisi Appeal Court
57. Hunger-striker threatened with detention
58. Hunger strike continues in Batumi
59. Insurance market review, 2007: Pinning more hopes on the future

Jonathan Kulick, Ph.D., Director of Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, 3a Chitadze, Tbilisi 0108, Georgia (Republic), jonathan.kulick@gfsis.org, office: +995 32 47 35 55, mobile: +995 95 33 33 40, USA voicemail: 310.928.6814