GEORGIA: Garibashvili Resigns & more – 1st Feb 2024

Gamarjobat from Greenway Parks! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 1st of February twenty twenty-four A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Monday the 29th, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced his resignation. Garibashvili stated that his decision followed the submission of an extensive report on his three-year term at the end of twenty twenty-three. But there’s more to it. The Georgian Dream or Otsneba’s Political Council offered him the role of party Chair. This decision aligns with the party trying to strengthen its position for the elections. Interestingly, Garibashvili resigned after the return of Bidzina, the party's founder, to an honorary chair position. Ivanishvili's return and Garibashvili's subsequent resignation shows they are nervous and making changes ahead of the parliamentary elections on 26 October.

On Tuesday the 30th, Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili praised former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili for his leadership during his three-year tenure. He credited Garibashvili with significant political and economic advancements, hilariously including Georgia's candidacy for European Union membership and domestic economic growth. The party is expected to nominate Irakli Kobakhidze along with his hair, as the new Prime Minister. ….Facepalm.

On Friday the 26th, the planned eviction of the Balakhadze family from their apartment on Zandukeli Street in Tbilisi was postponed.

The Balakhadze family is a regular family that faces eviction due to a disputed debt with the microfinance organization "Rico Express," which led to their home being undervalued at auction.

The case has garnered attention and support from various groups and activists because it highlights broader issues of predatory lending and systemic legal failures affecting vulnerable individuals in Georgia. Activists are protesting against this eviction and related legal actions against individuals involved in similar cases.

This diverse support underscores the deep-seated issues within Tbilisi's eviction processes and the legal framework governing debt disputes.

The National Enforcement Bureau granted up to six more months for the family and Rico Express to reach an agreement.

Also important to note that the eviction was very organized, heavy and serious. And yet for other asset backed lenders who are not well connected to the government, the police refuse to evict tenants who stop paying, and even tell tenants they can stay without paying, in order to put those non-Otsneba connected micro-lenders out of business. Using eviction and the police in this way has helped Otsneba take control of the whole sector, including Rico Credit.

On the same day, Tbilisi State University (or TSU) students carried out a sit-in in the university office, demanding the release of individuals arrested during a recent eviction protest. This includes TSU lecturers Kako Chikobava and Gogi Khasaia. The students are calling for a halt to evictions in the city, and they said they won’t stop protesting until their demands are met. The protest gained momentum as more students and civil activists joined in solidarity, moving from Zandukeli Street to TSU to demand the release of Chikobava and Khasaia. The situation remained tense as law enforcement was mobilized near the university, with a significant police presence in response to the ongoing protests.

On Monday the 29th, a rescue operation took place near the village of Roshka in the Dusheti municipality, where Georgian emergency services successfully saved ninety people. These individuals were stranded in about thirty vehicles on a road, immobilized by heavy snowfall. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

On Friday the 26th, in a heart-rending tale, identical twins Amy and Ano, separated and sold at birth in Georgia, reunited through a combination of a TV talent show appearance and a TikTok video. They were part of a wider network of child trafficking facilitated by medical professionals. Hospital staff misled biological parents, telling them that their children had died at birth. Adoptive families, often unknowing of the illegal nature of their adoption, were told they could adopt 'unwanted' babies directly from hospitals. There are thousands of cases of babies stolen from Georgian hospitals and sold.

The twins reunited with their biological mother in Germany.

On Saturday the 27th, President Salome Zourabichvili paid tribute to the millions who suffered during the Holocaust, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It commemorates the liberation of Auschwitz, where over 1.1 million people died just in that camp. Garibashvili also honored the victims, underscoring the need to stand against hatred and intolerance.

Georgia’s ranking twenty twenty-three Corruption Perceptions Index (or CPI) dropped eight places from 41st the year before to 49th out of 180 countries this is a bigger ranking drop than almost any other country. Transparency International calculates the CPI and assesses countries on their levels of perceived public sector corruption on a scale from zero to 100, the higher the score, the less corrupt.

This position places Georgia ahead of six European Union member states and several EU candidate countries. Denmark was the least corrupt country in the world by this measurement.

On Friday the 26th, Georgia and Turkey renewed their Cultural Cooperation Program for twenty twenty-four-twenty twenty-eight. Tea Tsulukiani, Georgia’s Minister of Culture and Sport, and Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, signed the agreement in Turkey. This program continues the collaboration that started in twenty seventeen, focusing on promoting cultural and artistic exchanges in many fields including literature, theater, and cinema.

On Tuesday the 30th, Georgia reported a total of 1.5 million international traveler arrivals in the fourth quarter of twenty twenty-three, with 1.3 million visitors— a slight decrease compared to the same period in twenty twenty-two. However, tourist visits increased by 7%. Most travelers were from Turkey, Russia, and Armenia. Mainly, visitors went to Georgia on vacation. International travelers spent a significant amount of money in Georgia, a total of $1 billion dollars during the fourth quarter of twenty twenty-three. The average expenditure per visit was around $750 dollars. The largest portion of their spending was on shopping at 28%, followed by food and drinks (26%), and accommodation (24%).

On Monday the 30th, Georgian customs officers at the Sarpi border checkpoint with Turkey confiscated undeclared gold items valued at approximately $53,000. The items, weighing over 1,400 grams, were discovered in a vehicle inspection. They were hidden in a special compartment.

On Wednesday the 31st, Georgia secured its place in the Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest twenty twenty-four. Nutsa Buzaladze, a famous singer from Tbilisi, will represent Georgia. She has done very well in many song contests, including finishing in the top twelve in American Idol twenty twenty-three. Her entry song will be announced shortly. The competition will take place in May in Malmö, Sweden.

On Tuesday the 30th, the Georgian film "From Life to Life" was awarded the Best European Film at the Chandler International Film Festival in Chandler Arizona. Directed by Beka Sikharulidze and featuring a cast including Givi Sikharulidze, Nino Kuratashvili, Ia Shugliashvili, and Roman Gventsadze, the film received critical acclaim and got three nominations at the festival. Set in the nineteen nineties in post-Soviet Union Georgia, it tells the story of Luka, a surgical doctor navigating the difficult transition period following the Soviet Union's collapse. The Chandler International Film Festival showcased over 120 films from around the globe.

On Tuesday the 30th, Madrid Fusión, the world's largest gastro congress, highlighted Georgia's rich culinary heritage on its Facebook page. Georgia, participating as a guest in Madrid Fusión twenty twenty-four, showcases its gastronomic secrets, emphasizing the country's renowned hospitality. The National Tourism Administration of Georgia's stand at the congress offers local cuisine, wine, and tourist products, featuring chefs cooking live for an immersive experience.

Aaaaaand that's it for this week. So you listen to us, ideally almost every week, but we don't actually know each other. Here's a chance to fix that. On Monday the 8th of April there is a total eclipse of the sun in Dallas, Texas, in the US. There will be events organized the whole weekend before. So on the off chance you can get here, send us an email or check the show notes for more information.

Nakhvamdis!