PARTY “UNITED NATIONAL MOVEMENT” BECOMES “NATIONAL MOVEMENT-DEMOCRATS

AJARIA WILL PARTICIPATE IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF GEORGIA

CEC REFUSED TO REGISTER WOMEN'S NGO AS OBSERVERS

ELECTION WATCHDOG CONCERNED OVER VOTER LISTS

LEVAN BERDZENISHVILI: IF THE PR CAMPAIGN OF OPPOSITION DOES NOT RISE NONE OF OPPOSITION PARTIES WILL OVERCOME ELECTION BARRIER

MP SAYS GEORGIA MAY YET ADDRESS COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONCERNS OVER POLLS

Tbilisi, 29 February ’04, BBC Monitoring, Source: Prime News. - Member of parliament Vasil Maghlaperidze, who is one of the leaders of the ruling party, the National Movement - Democrats, does not rule out the possibility of parliament holding an extraordinary session to debate the lowering of the 7-per-cent election threshold [to allow parties that receive less than 7 per cent of the vote in the 28 March elections to enter parliament]. Maghlaperidze told Prime-News that consultations on the issue were continuing both within the government and with opposition parties. Maghlaperidze himself favours setting the election threshold at 5 per cent. He said that he had discussed the issue with his fellow party members and they were not opposed to lowering the election threshold. Maghlaperidze believes that a party that receives 80,000 or even 70,000 votes should be represented in parliament. He said that President Mikheil Saakashvili was also ready to give more electoral commission seats to the opposition. Visiting Tbilisi last week, representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe monitoring group Matyas Eorsi expressed concern about the Georgian authorities' failure to lower the election threshold to 4 or 5 per cent. Eorsi said that there was a possibility of a one-party parliament being elected in Georgia on 28 March.

CEC CHAIR SIGNED REGISTRATION OF NINE POLITICAL PARTIES' ELECTION LISTS

Tbilisi. 01 March ’04, Prime-News. - The chairman of Central Election Commission Zurab Chiaberashvili has signed registration of nine political parties' election lists. As Prime-News was informed in the CEC press and public relations service, on Monday the CEC has registered election lists of the bloc "Right-wing Opposition - Industrialists, News" and lists of the parties "All Georgian People's Alliance", "Nodar Natadze - People's Front", "Nationalists", Georgian national-state political union "Mdzleveli", the political movement "Freedom", "Justice" and "United Communist Party". 14 political parties and 5 blocs presented election lists at the CEC on February 26. Deadline for registration of the election lists by the CEC chair expires on March 8.

CEC OF GEORGIA CONSIDERED PACE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO SECRECY OF VOTE

Tbilisi. 01 March ‘04, Black Sea Press. - Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia passed the resolution on consideration of recommendations of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) related to secrecy of vote - the cabin for vote will be under curtain. Zurab Chiaberashvili, chairman of Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia, told journalists about it. Proper amendments were made to the Electoral Code. The regulations were not in force at the previous elections including the Presidential ones of January 4 2004.

MARCH 28 ELECTIONS SHOULD BE LAST ELECTIONS TO BE HELD WITH ADDITIONAL VOTER LISTS - COE OBSERVERS

Tbilisi, 29 February ’04, Inter-Press. - The pre-election delegation of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly regards that the March 28 parliamentary elections should be the last elections in Georgia to be held with additional voter lists. According to the statement of the delegation, the Central Election Commission of Georgia has provided better conditions for the March 28 parliamentary elections than in case of the fraudulent November 2 elections. Head of the delegation Matyas Eorsi welcomed the efforts made to create a computerized voters register, 'and although same day registration of voters on Election Day can still not be abolished, this is a point of marked progress over previous elections'. Besides the delegation welcomed 'the work done to ensure the participation of minorities in these elections especially the availability of ballots and all other election materials in Azeri and Armenian in the minority areas'. The Parliamentary Assembly will send a 30-member delega-tion to observe the elections on 28 March 2004. The Assembly wants once more to express its willingness to assist the authorities to develop parliamentary democracy in Georgia.

PACE CONCERNED OVER GEORGIA’S FAILURE TO FOLLOW RECOMMENDATION

ZURAB ZHVANIA DOES NOT SEE PROBLEM IN REDUCING ELECTION BARRIER FOR PARTIES

Tbilisi, 27 February ’04, Caucasus Press. - Prime-Minister of Georgia Zurab Zhvania does not exclude holding of the special session of the parliament to discuss recommendations of the Council of Europe concerning the parliamentary elections on March 28. As he has stated today after the meeting with head of PACE monitoring group Matyas Eorsi, he does not see the problem in reducing 7% barrier to 5%. At the same time he has noted the opposition does not raise this question. According to Zhvania, the government of Georgia shares the second recommendation of the Council of Europe concerning staffing election administrations on professional basis. He promised the recommendations would be discussed with President of Georgia. <If we have time, possible the special session of the parliament will be held to consider these issues>, the premier said. Zhvania does not consider the situation in Georgia is dramatic as PACE mission considers.

HEAD OF THE MONITORING GROUP OF THE CoE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY MET WITH THE OPPOSITION PARTIES ON FRIDAY

Tbilisi, 27 February ’04, Prime-News. - Head of the monitoring group of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Matyas Eorsi met with the opposition parties on Friday. As one of the leaders of "Labor Party" Gela Danelia told journalists after the meeting, pretensions with partiality of the previous elections, as well as the future plans and upcoming parliamentary elections were discussed with Eorsi. According to him, "Laborists" hope that the monitoring group would be more "democratic and impartial" while evaluating the March 28 repeated parliamentary elections, than it was during the previous government. One of the leaders of "Democratic Revival Union", head of Ajara representation in Tbilisi Hamlet Chipashvili told journalists that the monitoring group of the CE Parliamentary Assembly shares their position that the future elections should be held without any strain. "Council of Europe's" position is that the opposition, as well as the government must exercise maximum restraint from confrontations", he declared. According to the leader of the election bloc "NDP-Traditionalists" Akaki Asatiani, with Matyas Eorsi he discussed fair staffing of the election commissions, which is not realized at present. One of the leaders of the bloc "Right-wing opposition – Industrialists, News" Pikria Chikhradze stated that position of the Council of Europe monitoring group is more realistic and critical this time. "Today they estimate the ongoing events in Georgia more realistically", she said. […] .

LABOUR PARTY OF GEORGIA EXPRESSED DISTRUST TO PACE DELEGATION AND ITS HEAD MATIAS EORSI

Tbilisi, 27 February ’04, Black Sea Press. – […] Representatives of the Labour Party declared at the today's meeting with members of the PACE delegation that the latter were biased in their evaluation of results of Parliamentary elections of November 2 2003. Gela Danelia, member of the Labour Party, declared that the elections were rigged, while the PACE monitors ignored the offences. Representatives of the Labour Party demanded resig-nation of Matias Eorsi who headed the monitoring mission at the November elections. […]

UNDP TO REALIZE SEVERAL PROJECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE MARCH 28 REPEATED ELECTIONS WITH THE FUNDS ALLOCATED BY THE EU

Tbilisi, 27 February ’04, Prime-News. – The UN Development Program (UNDP) will realize several projects in connection with the March 28 parliamentary elections in the framework of 2 million euro aid allocated by the European Union for holding the elections in Georgia. As the chief advisor of the UNDP Ched Flego stated at the press conference held at "Election Media Center" on Friday, the election administrations will be assisted with communication equipments, telephones and computers. According to him, the work is underway for elaborating mechanism for publication of the elections results in shorter terms, in particular, for hastening the procedure of delivering protocols from the election districts to the CEC. According to Ched Flego, the UN Development Program is also working on the gender program for involving women in political decision-making process. As the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia Torben Holts stated at the press conference, at Maastricht summit of last year the OSCE made decision on allocating 2 million euros as the immediate aid for holding the January 4 presidential and March 28 parliamentary elections in Georgia. According to Holts, 750 thousand euros are already spent on the presidential elections. […]

MICHAEL SAAKASHVILI IS "PLEASANTLY SURPRISED" WITH "SMOOTH" COMPILATION OF THE GOVERNMENTAL PARTY'S ELECTION LIST

Tbilisi, 27 February ’04, Prime-News. – The president Michael Saakashvili is "pleasantly surprised" with "smooth" compilation of the election list of the governmental party "National Movement – Democrats". As Michael Saakashvili told Georgian journalists in the US, he expected much more severe confrontations over the list, however the unity of "United National Movement" is so stable that besides "small grumbles", other problems were not created. According to the president, people on the list must have pure reputation. This list has the leader – the president of Georgia, Saakashvili said. […]

CEC DETERMINED ADDITIONAL TERMS OF VOTERS' REGISTRATION FROM MARCH 8 TO 21

REPRESENTATIVE OF "DRU" ZURAB ABASHIDZE ELECTED AS THE CEC DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

Tbilisi, 27 February ’04, Prime-News. – At the session of the Central Election Commission on Friday representative of "Democratic Revival Union" Zurab Abashidze was elected as the deputy chairman of this body. Abashidze shifted at this post another representative of "DRU" Givi Komakhidze. "DRU" appointed member of the party Zaza Toidze as its re-presentative in the CEC. "Democratic Revival Union" has three representatives in the CEC.

ELECTIONS FACE THREAT UNLESS CENTER-REGION TENSION IS OVERCOME

NDPG-TRADITIONALIST HAVE NO REPRESENTATIVE IN CEC

Tbilisi, 27 February ’04, Caucasus Press. - Electoral bloc says they refused from concluding a deal with the government and were left without their representative in the CEC. Bloc leader Akaki Asatiani said at today's press-conference that the absence of their representative in the CEC reduces democracy level and increases possibility of election fraud. Asatiani said that out of 15 CEC members, 10 represent the government. he said, assuming that the government can use the CEC to rig election results.

'THE GREEN PARTY OF GEORGIA' TO START PREPARATION FOR THE LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE ELECTIONS

Tbilisi, 28 February ‘04, Inter-Press. - 'The Green Party of Georgia,' which is not running in the March 28 Parliamentary elections, will start preparation for the local self-governing bodies in the nearest future. The party plans to launch reorganization on March 1. Head of the party Gia Gachechiladze told Inter-Press that their party sees no sense in running in the elections, because the new government has considered not a single recommendation of the OSCE. Besides, the new CEC is staffed by the new government representatives only and the Parliament has left the election barrier unchanged, i.e. 7%.

MATYAS EORSI DENOUNCED GEORGIA'S GOVERNMENT FOR IGNORING EU RECOMMENDATIONS

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, www.rustavi2.com. - PACE has been shocked with the fact that Georgia did not fulfill the recommendations of these organizations - Matyas Eorsi, PACE monitoring group chair has declared. Mr. Eorsi excoriated Georgia's government for maintaining the rule for staffing the central and other election commissions in the country, in which, he claimed principle of parity was not kept with. Matyas Eorsi disapproved the fact that pro-governmental political organizations had majority of seats at the commissions. PACE monitoring group chairman also criticized the Georgia's leadership for failing to drop 7 per cent barrier to 5 by amending Election Code and reproached them for neglecting the recommendations of Walter Schwimmer. […]

PACE DELEGATION, CEC CHIEF DISCUSSED ELECTIONS

Tbilisi. 26 February ’04, www.civil.ge - Matyas Eorsi, which leads the pre-election delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) met with Chairman of the Central Election Commission Zurab Tchiaberashvili on February 26. Zurab Tchiaberashvili that the PACE delegation expressed concern that Georgian Parliament failed to pass the amendments to the election code, which would met the PACE and OSCE recommendations. PACE delegation and the CEC chief also discussed the voter lists of the Adjara Autonomous Republic. The accuracy of the Adjarian voter lists cast doubts of the election watchdog organizations. According to the Adjarian officials there are up to 300,000 voters in the Autonomous Republic, however many claim that these lists are over-inflated. “I requested from the district election commission in Adjara to send to the Central Election Commission the voter lists. We have already received part of the lists. We will provide with these lists all the election entities or the observer organization, which will check the accuracy of Adjarian voter lists,” Zurab Tchiaberashvili told reporters. However, he added, that the Central Election Commission does not intend to recheck the lists from Adjara. He said if no one would recheck the lists the Central Election Commission will not be responsible for the accuracy of the Adjarian voter lists.

ELECTION WATCHDOG CONCERNED OVER PRE-ELECTION DEVELOPMENTS

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, www.civil.ge. - Election observer organization Fair Elections issued a statement expressing concern regarding the difficulties to provide timely funding to the election administrations. “None of the election commissions have been provided with necessary funding to conduct pre-election activities,” The Fair Elections’ statement reads. The election watchdog also criticizes the Central Election Commission for frequent extend extension of timeframes established by schedule of pre-election activities - postponement of deadlines of registration of election blocs, appointment of precinct election commission members etc. According to unofficial report the Central Election Commission intends to postpone a deadline for registration of a list of candidates running for the parliament through party-lists.

GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER "OUTRAGED BY CORRIDOR INTRIGUES" BY HER ALLIES

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, Caucasus Press. - Parliament Chairwoman Nino Burjanadze has said for the first time that there are some "corridor intrigues" in the process of forming electoral short lists [for the 28 March parliamentary elections]. Burjanadze told journalists today that she was "surprised and outraged by corridor intrigues when some of my friends, including those who are members of the United Democrats, are being told that I am against their inclusion in the [pro-government party's] list". "It seems political intrigues are continuing," Nino Burjanadze said and added that the candidates recommended by her should have had no problems with respect to their inclusion in the list. "I have been trying to include more people recommended by me in the short list. These are people who could bring more benefits to the country. Unfortunately, [Prime Minister] Zurab Zhvania did not agree with my opinion and the number of such people [on the short list] is much less than I expected," Burjanadze noted. [Passage omitted] "The most disappointing thing is that some people lack courage to explain to others why they were omitted from the list. Instead, they are resorting to corridor intrigues and passing the blame on to Nino Burjanadze," she said. However, the parliament chairwoman refused to name masterminds behind the intrigues.

DEMOCRATS AND BURJANADZE MANAGED TO RESOLVE ALL CONTRADICTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH ELECTION LISTS

Tbilisi. 26 February ’04, Caucasus Press. - The National Movement managed to settle all difference of opinions by 18.00 and submitted the list to CEC. As representative of the United Democrats Vasili Maglaperidze who submitted the list to CEC stated, all disputable issues had been resolved during consultations of Prime-Minister Zurab Zhvania with speaker of the parliament Nino Burjanadze. 60% of places are given to the National Movement in the list, 40% of places to Burjanadze's team and the United Democrats. The democrats and Burjanadze could not share those places till last time. As CAUCASUS PRESS was stated by Michael Machavariani, 15 places out of 100 in the list belonged to Nino Burjanadze's team. , he stated. The united democrats got 26 places out of 100, the rest the nationals had. Prime-Minister of Georgia Zurab Zhvania named the list as . Despite al differences in opinions, we are one team which has serious chances for victory at the parliamentary elections>, he noted. There are 4 nationals, 4 democrats and 2 representatives of Burjanadze's team among the first ten persons in the list.

GEORGIAN PRESIDENT'S ELECTION ALLIANCE SUBMITS LIST OF PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

Tbilisi. 26 February ’04, BBC Monitoring, TV Rustavi2. - We have just learnt the names of the top twenty people on the pro-government bloc's [28 March parliamentary] election short list. They are:1. Maia Nadiradze [MP]; 2. Eldar Shengelaia [deputy speaker]; 3. Giorgi Arveladze [Georgian President Saakashvili's former spokesman]; 4. Kote Gabashvili [former ambassador to Germany]; 5. Elene Tevdoradze [MP]; 6. Roman Gotsiridze [head of parliament's budget office]; 7. Lado Papava [former economics minister]; 8. Davit Berdzenishvili [Republican Party leader]; 9. Vasil Maghlaperidze [MP]; 10. Giorgi Gegelashvili; 11. Lado Chipashvili [MP]; 12. Edvard Surmanidze [MP]; 13. Levan Bezhashvili; 14. Koba Khabazi; 15. Davit Tqeshelashvili [MP]; 16. Kote Beridze; 17. Khatuna Gogorishvili [former chief of staff of parliament]; 18. Vano Khukhunaishvili; 19. Roman Kusiani [MP]; 20. Zurab Davitashvili.

19 BLOCS, PARTIES SUBMITTED LIST OF MP CANDIDATES

Tbilisi. 26 February ’04, www.civil.ge - Deadline for submitting to the Central Election Commission (CEC) party-lists of the MP candidates running for the March 28 parliamentary polls expired this evening. CEC Chairman Zurab Tchiaberashvili said after the expiration of the deadline that 19 political parties and election blocs submitted party-lists. Thus only 19 entities will run for the proportional parliamentary elections. The ruling coalition of President Saakashvili’s National Movement and Premier Zhvania’s United Democrats parties submitted the party-list at a last minute. The members of the United Democrats and supporters Nino Burjanadze will run for MP through the National Movement party-list. The ruling coalition was at odds over the party-list. It seems that the leaders could not agree over the issue. Nino Burjanadze said that she is dissatisfied over the composition of the list. Later Zurab Zhvania also said “the unity of the coalition is under threat” because of disagreement over the lists.

GEORGIA: AJARIAN LEADER'S PARTY SUBMITS LIST OF PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

Tbilisi. 26 February ’04, BBC Monitoring, Imedi TV - A short while ago, [the Union for Georgia's Democratic] Revival [led by Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze] submitted its electoral short list to the Central Electoral Commission. Here are the first 10 names on the list: 1. Aslan Abashidze; 2. Elizbar Javelidze [MP]; 3. Lia Shakarishvili; 4. Turab Tunadze ; 5. Givi Komakhidze [Revival's representative in the CEC during last elections]; 6. Anzor Abralava [MP]; 7. Temur Megrelishvili; 8. Nato Chkheidze [MP, co-owner of the Omega group whose offices were recently searched by the prosecutor's office]; 9. Mikheil Osadze [MP]; 10. Hamlet Chipashvili [head of the Ajarian mission in Tbilisi]. One of the favourites of Revival's short list in the previous [2003 parliamentary] elections, Tsotne Bakuria [chairman of Revival's Tbilisi branch], is now No 12. The founder of the Omega group, Zaza Okuashvili, is also among the first 20.

SECRETARY OF KOBULETI DISTRICT ELECTION COMMISSION RESIGN DUE TO OPPRESSION FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, Prime-News. - Secretary of Kobuleti district election commission Nargiza Basiladze declared about resignation. As member of "Our Ajara" Nargiza Basiladze told Prime-News, the cause of resignation is oppression from the local authorities. According to her, Ajara government was trying to influence over her via blackmailing. New secretary of Kobuleti district election commission will be member of "Our Ajara" Rusudan Dvaladze.

NDP AND TRADITIONALISTS SUBMITTED STRAIGHT TICKET TO CEC

"NATIONALISTS" AND "PUBLIC ALLIANCE OF GEORGIA" PRESENTED LISTS AT CEC

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, Prime-News. - "Nationals" and "Public Alliance of Georgia" presented lists at CEC for participation in March 28 parliamentary elections. As Prime-News was informed from the CEC, "Nationalists" presented a 169-men list while "Public Alliance of Georgia" - a 120-men list.

BLOCS "RIGHT-WING OPPOSITION - INDUSTRIALISTS, RIGHTS" AND "JUMBER PATIASHVILI - POLITICAL UNION "ERTOBA" PRESENTED ELECTION LISTS AT CEC

Tbilisi. 26 February ’04, Prime-News. - Two political blocs - "Right-wing opposition - Industrialists, Rights" and "Jumber Patiashvili - Political union "Ertoba" presented the election lists at the Central Election Commission. As Prime-News correspondent reports from the CEC, the bloc "Right-wing opposition - Industrialists, Rights" submitted 157-person list. The leader of "Industrialists" Gogi Topadze heads the bloc's list, David Gamkrelidze is the second, Zurab Tkemaladze - the third, Pikria Chikhradze - the fourth, followed by Zurab Kostava and Irakli Iashvili. Deadline of presentation of the election lists at the CEC has already expired.

"SOCIALISTS" PRESENTED 119-PERSON ELECTION LIST AT THE CEC

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, Prime-News. - "Socialist Party" presented the election list for participation in the March 28 repeated parliamentary elections at the Central Election Commission. As Prime-News correspondent reports from the CEC, "Socialists" submitted 119-person list, the first number of which is Irakli Mindeli, the second - Zakaria Kutsnashvili and the third - Nugzar Navadze.

"PEOPLES PARTY" DENIED PARTICIPATION IN MARCH 28 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, Prime-News. - Central Election Commission abolished registration of "people's Party" on Thursday. As the leader of "People's Party" Mamuka Giorgadze told prime-News, participation in the elections would have no result for the polling is already monopolized. […]

«LIBERAL PARTY” REFUSES TO RUN FOR PARLIAMENT

Tbilisi, 26 February ’04, Black Sea Press. - Today the “Liberal Party” led by Revaz Shavishvili revoked from the central Election Commission its application for running parliament. He said to a Black Sea Press reporter that the Party had refused to run for parliament for shortage of finances. In his words, without funds for electoral campaign, the Party had no chances to overcome the seven percent barrier needed to win the elections. It is worth noting that during the 2 November 2003 parliamentary elections the Liberal Party ran for parliament jointly with the “New Rights” Party. Later the bloc broke up

BURJANADZE: OSCE HAS SEROUS PLANS IN CONNECTION WITH ELECTION CODE

Tbilisi, 25 February ‘04, Prime-News. - According to the chairwoman of the parliament Nino Burjanadze, OSCE has serous plans in connection with election code. At the final session of the parliament Burjanadze regretted due to the fact that the legislative body failed to make decision regarding election code. In addition, she expressed hope that the new parliament will adopt new election code.

CEC GOT GEL 4 MILLION FOR ELECTIONS

Tbilisi, 25 February ’04, Caucasus Press. - The Central Electoral Commission of Georgia has received GEL 4,128,000 from the State Treasury for the 28 March parliamentary elections.The Ministry of Finance told Caucasus Press that GEL 7 million are required for the elections. The OSCE Mission to Georgia has allocated 1 million euro for this purpose.