Lasha Tordia
On 23 July, the head of the State Audit Service (SAS) in Georgia, Levan Bezhashvili, handed in his resignation to parliament after four years in office citing his desire to aid the people of the storm battered region of Kakheti in Eastern Georgia. “I believe that at this time of difficulty it is my obligation to stand […] by [the] residents of Kakheti region and help them in [the] relief efforts… so I have decided to quit this comfortable high post in Tbilisi,” he announced. More…
On Wednesday 25 July, Ambassador Andrey Sorokin, head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan announced a series of activities designed to encourage and increase the participation of women in Armenian public life. “Promoting women’s participation in economic and political spheres as well as inclusion in public life is an essential factor for ensuring democratic advancement. The positive effect women’s participation has on stability and security throughout society is undeniable,” said Sorokin. More…
The ruling party of Azerbaijan, the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), has announced that Ilham Aliyev, incumbent president and Chairman of the YAP will be the party’s candidate for the presidential elections scheduled for October 2013. The candidacy was announced last week by deputy party chairman, Ali Ahmadov. Ahmadov stated that the official announcement will be made at a party convention to be held before the elections. More…
Tedo Japaridze was for a long time the Georgian Ambassador in Washington, serving there from 1994 -2002. In March 2002 he chaired the
Georgian National Security Council. His televised speech in that capacity in November 2003 at the height of the “Rose Revolution” probably
sealed the fate of the Shevardnadze government. Japaridze was appointed for a short time as Georgian foreign Minister after the revolution
but did not see eye to eye with many of the leaders that emerged after those events and was removed in March 2004.
He retains respect in key elements within the international community, particularly the US. In 2011 he became a member of the core team of
Bidzhina Ivanishvili’s party, and subsequently of the Georgian Dream coalition. More…
Giorgi Baramidze has been a central figure on the Georgian political landscape for the last twenty years. He started his political career as a member of parliament of the Green Party and was a close associate of its leader Zurab Zhvania. He remained a close associate of Zhvania until the latter’s mysterious death in 2005. After the 2003 “Rose revolution” Baramidze became the second most important member of Zhvania’s team in the revolutionary leadership, serving first as interior minister and later as defence Minister. Shortly before Zhvania’s death his star waned somewhat and he was pushed upstairs as Deputy Prime Minister with responsibility for European integration. Baramidze retains some popularity at the grassroots and there are reports that he may be fielded as candidate for the ruling United National Movement in his old constituency of Didube in Tbilisi. More…
Two pro western Georgian politicians have exchanged sharp words last week through a European media outlet. Comments by Georgian Vice Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze were strongly rebuked by former Foreign Minister Tedo Japaridze as tension in the Caucasus country increases. More…