Page 12 - GEORptAug19

Salome Zurabishvili, won the presidential elections last year only after he used his personal wealth to gain voters’ support. However, the opposition headed by the United National Movement (UNM) f ailed to perform well in the local election contests this spring and the ruling coalition won the parliamentary seat left vacant after Zurabishvili took the presidential office. July’s protests provided a boost to the opposition, though.
New Rustavi 2 owner Khalvashi promised not to interfere in the editorial policy of the TV channel, but has already dismissed Nika Gvaramiya from the position of general director.
Rustavi 2 was previously 91% controlled by brothers Levan and Giorgi Karamanishvili, who are close associates of the UNM founder and former president Mikheil Saakashvili.
The ECHR court decision was praised by President Zurabishvili but was met with caution and some open criticism by opposition representatives. Zurabishvili, quoted by InterPressNews (IPN), said that the ECHR “recognised the impartiality of the Georgian court.”
“This trust provides a strong basis for the forthcoming wave of judicial reform and thus strengthening our democracy,” she stated, adding: “I also believe in freedom of speech and expression in Georgia.”
Opposition politicians questioned the fairness of the decision and hinted at a possible appeal.
“The ruling of the European Court is dangerous and bad for Georgian democracy, but as a responsible and pro-Western opposition, we do not question the decisions of the European Court... Today’s ruling provides the prospect of continuing legal proceedings by appealing the decision before the Grand Chamber of the European Court,” said MP Davit Bakradze, leader of opposition party European Georgia, as quoted by Civil.ge.
Saakashvili was more extreme in his statements. “I call on everybody to mobilise, now we have a state of emergency, we are on the edge of losing a country”, he said, as reported by IPN.
2.7 Polls & Sociology
Georgians to get jobs legally in Germany in 2020
A law allowing residents of Georgia to be employed legally in Germany will go into force in six to seven months, Elguja Khokrishvili, ambassador of Georgia to Germany, has said in an interview with Evening’s Newsroom broadcast by PalitraNews TV.
“The German Bundestag and later the upper chamber [the Bundesrat] passed the law, which will go into force in six to seven months, allowing citizens of Georgia to be employed legally in German. The citizens of Georgia will have the right to find an employer in Germany in advance and then to obtain the job visa. In addition, they will be given a simplified opportunity to find a professional training place, go to Germany and get professional training. This law also enables people to stay in Germany for six months and find a job. We are working on the translation of the law in order to provide this information to citizens of Georgia”, the ambassador said.
“When the crop season comes, the German companies look for workers to employ them for three months. We will examine their living conditions, their
12 GEORGIA Country Report August 2019 www.intellinews.com