Tbilisi’s discontent over election in Abkhazia up front 2009-12-14 20:13 The one who was most confident of his capabilities will win the election in Abkhazia. Current president Sergey Bagapsh turned down PR-specialists and was right to do so. Nearly 60%votes were his. There will be no second round with a unique candidate of the opposition as planned. Foreign monitors acknowledge the election as democratic and legitimate. Moscow that favored all candidates is satisfied with the atmosphere of elections. Tbilisi thinks it’s a farce. Abkhazia reconfirms its political maturity and the right to be independent.

Georgian political prisoners’ gesture of despair 2009-12-11 16:40 The International Human Rights Day is celebrated in Georgia by a hunger strike conducted by 35 political prisoners. The government, which is so vain of the discipline established among the law-enforcement authorities, has put the opponents, who ventured to come out with criticism, to prison. The methods of suppressing nonconformity became one of the main subjects of the ombudsman’s report presented to Parliamentary Human Rights Committee today.

Saakashvili complements Abkhaz elections 2009-12-09 23:35 Georgian president criticizes presidential election in Abkhazia prescheduled for Saturday saying it’s a poor caricature of democracy. Other Georgian politicians forecast protests by Abkhaz opposition and a profound political crisis after the voting. Well, Apsny too has its skeptics but it’s not up to Georgia to give democracy lessons to Abkhazians, and the words on a poor copy of Georgian elections can be considered a compliment.

Who undermines foundations of Georgian society? 2009-12-08 16:08 A new scandal is gathering pace in Georgia with the nation’s sanctum – Georgian church and Catholicos of All Georgia Ilia II - as protagonists. The opposition claims the authorities have deliberately initiated a defamation campaign against him. Party leaders support each other in their defense of the Patriarch. Are the authorities really at war with the church?

Viva the kings and queens of the Georgian stage! 2009-12-07 23:16 A true round-up has been organized against the artists enslaving the Russian hearts with their beautiful voices with a Caucasian accent. “Grey eminence” Levan Ramishvili is openly referring to the country’s best singers as “agents”, “traitors”, “second-raters” and “prostitutes”. His accusations were thrown against Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Soso Pavliashvili, Nani Bregvadze and the nonchalant star of men’s magazines, a recently admitted member of The Public Chamber of Russia Tina Kandelaki.

Harmony on Georgian Public TV? 2009-12-04 18:06 Georgian Public TV is expecting changes. It seems Mikheil Saakashvili’s concession to the opposition will eventually be brought to life, and from now on the extended board of guardians will include opposition candidates. Anyway it’s up to the ruling majority to decide on specific persons.

When masks of saints fall off 2009-12-03 18:04 The facts Georgia had been concealing were uncovered yesterday. Five detained Ossetians who were released from prison were transferred to South Ossetia. The hostages (see photo) uncommented by the Georgian Interior Ministry for a long time were brought back by Thomas Hammarberg, High Commissioner for Human Rights in Europe. In return everyone expected the Ossetian trial would be good to the Georgian teens accused of storage of explosives. Tskhinval released two teenagers promising to set the rest of them free in 10 days’ time.

The nationals locked “skeletons in the wardrobe” 2009-12-02 23:15 Recently, the parliament majority of Georgia blocked the Christian-Democrats’ initiative on investigation of the headline-making murders to be held by the delegates. The point at issue was the “incidental” deaths of Zurab Vazagashvili, Amiran Robakidze, Sandro Girgvliani, Georgi Gamtsemlidze and other young men who died at the hand of policemen.

Hammarberg refused to become a puppet 2009-12-01 23:41 Georgia has been waiting for Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe Thomas Hammarberg (see photo) as if he was the Almighty who would save the boys detained in Tskhinval. He was cursed at first; then there was a hysterics about his not being let to South Ossetia. Finally, all the hopes were set upon him. It seemed like Thomas Hammarberg was going to be torn apart should he come back without any positive news. However, he survived the Georgian attack and felt sympathy for the Ossetian families.