NEWS: Georgia News Digest 04-16-08

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. Public Defender attacks CEC chair
2. Public Defender’s claims/CEC response
3. Ombudsman slams election chief for withholding CCTV footage
4. Matyas Eorsi presented report on Georgia
5. Political parties running in parliamentary elections to sign the memorandum pact drawn up by GPB on April 16
6. Code of conduct not enough to keep Georgian politicians in line
7. Republicans are shifting to an active election campaign
8. Salome Zurabishvili: ‘Society has seen the authority’s true face’
9. Georgia's democratic stalemate
10. Power and Russia's backyard
11. The last dance [excerpt]
12. Moscow steps on 'Baltic rake.' Baluyevskiy pushes Ukraine, Georgia toward NATO
13. Angela Merkel did not answer question about reasons for denial of MAP status to Georgia and Ukraine
14. Georgian MPs to put questions about MAP to Angela Merkel
15. Lost without a MAP
16. MAP-ShMAP and other woes
17. Uneven deep-lomacy
18. S. Ossetian, Abkhaz leaders pledge to boost ties
19. South Ossetia opens embassy in Abkhazia
20. Separatists pledge cooperation against "military threats"
21. Abkhaz, South Ossetian separatist heads reject broad autonomy within Georgia
22. Russia's ruling party ready for new relations with breakaway regions
23. Georgia calls for backing its conflict settlement initiatives
24. Georgia waiting for specific decisions by Russia
25. Ukraine, Azerbaijan support Georgia in Strasburg
26. GUAM to make more effort to gain support to solve conflicts
27. Comments by Russian politicians, political experts.
28. Irakli Alasania handed over protest letter to UN Secretary Council
29. Russian peacekeepers wounded Zugdidi resident
30. Russian official says Russian peace mission has no alternative
31. U.S., Russia trade barbs over Georgia at UN
32. video: Peacekeepers from Russia to carry on in Abkhazia: UN
33. video: Georgia committed to Abkhazian autonomy
34. Bagapsh threatened Kishmaria
35. Overflight by Georgia plane of Georgia-Abkhazia zone-provocation
36. Russia believes new tension possible in Georgia-Abkhazia zone
37. Separatist official rejects Georgia's latest proposal to breakaway regions
38. Europe cautious, but supportive: New report highlights differences between Georgia and EU
39. France won’t extradite Okruashvili to Georgia
40. No Bokeria for Lesotho: Sending Bokeria to Lesotho is insensitive
41. video: Gagged media protests in Georgia
42. Journalists hold rally to protect freedom of speech
43. Lawyers protest unjust system: Courts continue without them
44. Ombudsman demands protection of confidence of prisoners’ letters sent for him
45. Labor Party threatens boycott of mobile phone companies
46. Here we go again- political persecution
47. President signed document regarding creation of free economic zone of Poti
48. Saakashvili’s statement on free economic zone
49. Georgia expects completion of the transaction on flotation of the bonds
50. Millennium Challenge Georgia Fund reported on results of 2-year work
51. Georgia banks on cheap credit and land for economic, political dividends
52. News Corp offered 500 million for Imedi cancellation
53. Georgia up two places in ICT ranking
54. Price of diesel fuel increase by four times
55. Mayor of Tbilisi opened vast reservoir in Vashlijvari
56. Georgian Government, UNICEF set new standards for kindergarten reform
57. video: Georgia edge past Russia in title thriller [excerpt]
Siberian Light blog, April 13video links at siberianlight.net/2008/04/13/rugby-russia-georgia-european-nations-cup-title

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