NATIONALS AND DEMOCRATS WILL PARTICIPATE IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS AS ONE BLOC
Tbilisi, 09 January ’04, Caucasus Press. - At the parliamentary elections on March 28 the nationals and democrats will act as one bloc - the >, Nino Burjanadze will be candidate number one. , acting President of Georgia Nino Burjanadze has stated at the briefing today. Burjanadze promised that the government would make efforts to make the election campaign be held in constructive and competitive conditions.
WILL PARTICIPATE IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Tbilisi, 09 January ’04, Caucasus Press. - The Union of Democratic Revival will participate in the parliamentary elections on March 28 and hopes to achieve success. As chairman of Tbilisi organization of the Tsotne Bakuria said to Caucasus Press, it had not been decided whether the would form the bloc with other political forces or participate independently. Consultations on this issue are to be held with leader of Ajaria Aslan Abashidze.
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY DEMANDS HOLDING THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN MAY
Tbilisi, 09 January ’04, Inter-Press. - 'The National Democratic Party' of Georgia categorically contradicts holding the parliamentary elections in March and demands the government to postpone the elections till May. Representative of the National Democratic Party Jaba Samushia sees a danger of having a single-party parliament if the elections are held in March. 'Today, the country is facing a danger of establishing the majority like 'The Union of Citizens,' that will cause ruin of the country. The strict Parliamentary control should be imposed on the President,' Samushia said at the press conference at the party office today. 'The government fairs it will be unable to keep its promise in the near future that will be followed by people’s reaction' he said.
NDPG AND TRADITIONALISTS HOPE TO TAKE NOT LESS THAN 10% OF VOTES AT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Tbilisi, 09 January ’04, Caucasus Press. - The alliance will be able to take not less than 10% of votes at the parliamentary elections>, leader of the alliance Akaki Asatiani stated to Caucasus Press. At the same time he acknowledged that March 28 was not the best time for the elections. Asatiani said, noting that the alliance had started consultations on uniting with right forces, though he completely excluded perspective of the bloc with the .
INDUSTRIALISTS WOULD PREFER MAY FOR HOLDING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Tbilisi, 09 January ’04, Caucasus Press. - The party has not decided yet whether it will participate in the parliamentary elections. , one of the leaders of the industrialists Zurab Tkemaladze stated to Caucasus Press. According to him, acting President of Georgia Nino Burjanadze had no right to appoint the date of the elections without making corresponding amendments to the Election Code. Tkemaladze said the industrialists would prefer to hold the elections in May so that opposition parties would be able to prepare for them.
Tbilisi, 09 January ’04, Inter-Press. - Chairman of the CEC Zurab Chiaberashvili thanks international observers, having served in international mission of observers, for 'the extremely valuable recommendations.' According to Chiaberashvili, considering recommendations of international observers is necessary for bringing closer the future election processes to the international standards. Chiaberashvili voices hope, that a number of international observers at the forthcoming presidential elections won't be less in comparison with the presidential elections. 'The OSCE Mission to Georgia, UNDP, USAID, International Fund for the Election Systems, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute have assisted to the election administration and promoted establishment of the institute of local observers in Georgia,' Chiaberashvili said. According to him, the January 4, 2004 presidential elections have shown the firmness of political will of Georgian government, i.e. to hold free and fair elections in Georgia. 'The fact that the CEC has managed in the shortest period of time to prepare and hold the early presidential elections has been promoted by the government of Georgia,' Chiaberashvili said.
RUSSIAN ELECTION CHIEF REGRETS FOREIGN OBSERVERS "POLICY OF DOUBLE STANDARDS"
Moscow, 08 January ’04, BBC Monitoring, Source: Itar-Tass. - The head of the Russian Central Electoral Commission, Aleksandr Veshnyakov, regrets that "the policy of double standards" could still be seen in assessments of foreign observers. He arrived at this conclusion after comparing assessments given by OSCE observers after the Duma elections in Russia and the presidential elections in Georgia. Speaking live on Radio Russia today, Veshnyakov admitted that several critical remarks in connection with the recent Duma election campaign, voiced by OSCE observers, "have grounds". For example, in connection with "superior coverage" of one of the political parties taking part in them [sentence as received]. He noted, however, that this criticism "requires a comprehensive analysis" and said that "one should not exaggerate the influence of the media and political experts" on election results. All sorts of "administrative excesses" happen in the USA and other countries, but they do not prompt such negative assessments, he said. Veshnyakov said that the presidential elections in Georgia on 4 January deserved highly positive assessments by international observers. However, the results of the elections have not yet been summed up in the four days since the voting, and "no-one can say how many voters were registered" in the republic, he said, and this is where one can also see the symptoms of "the policy of double standards". It seems assessment depends on "whether elected leaders are to one's liking or not", he said.
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