Georgia
Kavelashvili pardons two jailed opposition leaders, citing participation in municipal elections
Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze were arrested for boycotting a controversial parliamentary commission.
Mamuka Khazaradze
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2024 Georgian Parliamentary Elections
Armenophobic attacks by pro-government media target Georgian opposition leader
Pro-government TV channel POSTV has launched a series of Armenophobic attacks against the chair of the Lelo party and leading figure in the broader Strong Georgia opposition alliance, Mamuka Khazaradze. On 11 October, POSTV released a video showing an unnamed reporter pressing Khazaradze with accusations that he was concealing his supposed Armenian heritage. The on-the-spot interview was evidently recorded on 10 October, when Khazaradze and Strong Georgia were holding a campaign event in Tel
2024 Georgian Parliamentary Elections
Two major opposition groups fail to unite ahead of Georgian elections
Five weeks before Georgia’s parliamentary elections, the For Georgia party, led by former Georgian Dream member and ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, announced that negotiations to join the Strong Georgia alliance had failed. On 19 September, the opposition For Georgia party reported that the three-day long negotiations to create a unified bloc with the Strong Georgia alliance had faltered. The announcement followed what appeared to be difficult negotiations between For Georgia’s chair, Gi
Anaklia Port
Belgian company wins tender for Anaklia Port
The Georgian government has announced Belgian company Jan De Nul as the winner of a tender for the development of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port in western Georgia. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Economy on Thursday, and confirmed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The Economy Ministry stated that Jan De Nul was one of four companies that applied for the tender, all of them ‘European’, with ‘the best international reputation’. In May, the ministry listed Jan De Nul, Boskalis,
Georgia
Opposition leader vows to sue Tbilisi mayor for defamation
The leader of the opposition Lelo party, Mamuka Khazaradze, has vowed to sue the Mayor of Tbilisi and general secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party for defamation. Khazaradze announced his intent to sue Kakha Kaladze on Tuesday, hours after the Tbilisi mayor accused him of racketeering during the rule of the United National Movement under former president Mikheil Saakashvili. Kaladze accused Khazaradze of being involved in ‘dirty deeds’ and of being Saakashvili’s ‘goon’ at Tbilisi’s
Bidzina Ivanishvili
Georgian Dream's ‘anti-oligarchy law’ set to bypass Ivanishvili and target his rivals
A proposed anti-oligarchy law aimed at curbing the political influence of the rich in Georgia, has been heavily criticised by opposition figures. It appears to threaten critics of the ruling party and leave its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, unaffected. The draft package was introduced to parliament by Georgian Dream party on 10 October. It defines an ‘oligarch’ based on wealth, political and media influence, and being the beneficiary of a monopolistic business. While anti-oligarchy meas
Anaklia Port
TBC bank founder and Georgian opposition leader found guilty of fraud
Mamuka Khazaradze, one of the founders of TBC Bank and the leader of the Lelo Party, has been found guilty of fraud but spared jail by Tbilisi City Court. Khazaradze, along with TBC co-founder Badri Japaridze and businessman Avtandil Tsereteli were each given seven years in prison, however, their sentences were commuted as the statute of limitations for fraud had expired. All three were on trial for the more serious offence of money laundering, but the court re-qualified the charges to fraud
