Latest Articles about Georgia
GEORGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER FENDS OFF LATEST CHARACTER ATTACK
Scandal-prone Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili is back in the news thanks to the continuing investigation into the Ministry of Defense purchase of allegedly defective armored vehicles from Ukraine in 2004 (see EDM October 14). After the arrest of three senior defense officials on charges... MORE
FREEDOM OF MEDIA IN GEORGIA DECLINES EVEN FURTHER
Reporters Without Frontiers, a Paris-based watchdog organization, released the 2005 version of its Worldwide Press Freedom Index on October 20. Georgia fell from 94th place in 2004 to 99th place. Prior to the November 2003 Rose Revolution, the organization ranked Georgia 73rd. Georgia's falling scores... MORE
JCC, “PEACEKEEPING” FORMATS IN SOUTH OSSETIA SHOWN TO BE UNTENABLE
An emergency session of the Joint Control Commission (JCC, overseeing the ceasefire in South Ossetia) was held on October 24-25 in Moscow. Convened ostensibly to overcome tensions in the wake of the September 20 demonstration of force by Russian-assisted Ossetian troops, the Moscow meeting merely... MORE
WILL FIRED GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER BECOME OPPOSITION LEADER?
Late on Wednesday, October 19, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli announced the dismissal of Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili. Nogaideli, who was forced to postpone a scheduled trip to the United States because of the situation, said that he had experienced "a very difficult conversation" with... MORE
GEORGIA DE-FREEZES THE CONFLICT-SETTLEMENT PROCESSES
Interviewed in the October 17 issue of the Kyiv daily Den, Georgia's National Security Council Secretary Gela Bezhuashvili underscores a point that many in Russia and some in international diplomatic chancelleries seem disinclined to acknowledge openly: Georgia has succeeded in "de-freezing" the conflict-settlement processes regarding... MORE
GEORGIA’S OPPOSITION TAKES STEPS AGAINST SAAKASHVILI, SOROS
Two separate events affecting Georgia's opposition groups vividly demonstrate the extremes of contemporary political life in Georgia. On October 17, the Conservative and Republican parties announced the establishment of a new parliamentary faction composed of former members of the ruling National Movement and former allies... MORE
PROBLEMS MOUNT FOR GEORGIAN ARMY
Almost every day, Georgian television airs government-sponsored ads inviting Georgians to join the mighty Georgian army. While, this patriotic display tries to create a rosy picture of Georgia's military potential, the reality is more alarming than inspiring. This week over 40% of the Georgian military's... MORE
GEORGIA ON RUSSIAN “PEACEKEEPING:” ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Georgia has taken a major step toward correcting or ending Moscow's "peacekeeping" and "mediating" activities in the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts on Georgia's territory. Georgian parliamentary leaders in close consultation with the Presidency have drafted a resolution whereby the parliament sets deadlines for corrective... MORE
GEORGIAN OPPOSITION LOSES BY-ELECTIONS, ALLEGES VIOLATIONS
The October 1 by-elections to fill five seats in the Georgian parliament produced a convincing victory for the ruling National Movement party. Party leader and President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili openly declared these by-elections to be an indicator of the electorate's confidence in his policies... MORE
CRUNCH TIME FOR SAAKASHVILI’S GOVERNMENT
So far, the Georgian government has weathered the latest cycle of disturbances in the country's restive regions. Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, came under mortar fire on the heels of its celebration of the 15th anniversary of its declaration of secession from Georgia. The coincidence... MORE