Member Info for Madpunter

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

Pt.8 (and final part)
Those are persons who have caused problems for American companies.

Yes. Day by day this resolution became bipartisan. And the number of people joining this resolution is growing day by day.
Journalist - Maybe this is exactly the fault of the fact that the Ministry of Economy has expressed its readiness to continue working with you and find a compromise.

Zaza - It is possible. However, there is a second law as well. It is called the Magnitsky Global Act, by which all those individuals, as well as current or former members of the state, who are involved in enriching their mineral resources, corruption, or the use of other American companies for various purposes, may even face sanctions. How else can you explain the fact that as a result of this half a billion investment, when a huge wealth has been created for the country, this company is hindered ...

However, I have to say that you have a dispute with the state and it says there is not that much volume. They question the volume of investment, they say that it`s much less than $ 500 million.

Yes sir. We are the only company in the whole of Georgia that has a state audit every year. And, by the way, according to this state audit, we have made so many investments. This is documented and ...

However, you and the state read this differently.

Here is the story of understanding again. As you mentioned at the beginning.

I don't know how to read the audit report differently, as well as the court decision.

Exactly

In short, are you ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the Ministry of Economy?

We are always ready. However, I do not believe this farce, to be honest. No matter what format they use, how they report it, and how they continue to misinform, even at this moment, it is hard to believe that they have any serious intentions at the moment.

Yes sir. Thank you so much for participating in the show. lets see. We are always ready to invite you and talk about these topics - how to develop a relationship with the Ministry of Economy and the government. Zaza Mamulaishvili, President of Frontera, was our guest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhio3tzMsqM&app=desktop

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

Pt.7
It was an absolutely identical context that Ivanishvili is in close contact with the Russian government and, in the interest of the Russian government, is trying to influence the institutions, strengthen his government and destabilize the country. This was happening 4 years ago, in 2016. In 2017, the Prime Minister, Kvirikashvili, had a lot of communication. Some letters were signed by 15 congressmen.
Journalist - That is, it all started then. However, it was not widely publicized at the time.

Zaza - Not publicized. Because then they tried and kept it confidential. In 2018, the United States Legislation even recorded for the first time in the history of Georgia-US relations, I will try to quote, „hostility to American investment is growing, especially in the oil and gas sector, which opposes Georgia's energy independence and promotes Russia's interests“. That’s what I’m telling you about.

I understand that the Georgian government has only recently managed to create such an image for Frontera, since you work in such a field that you do not have a customer like any other company can have. They are virtually unfamiliar with your business and have recently started talking about it. It is good to speak about your problems in public. However, I would like to take the time to ask you how you can imagine continuing this situation. You often talk about context and you don't have to worry about putting something in context. In this context, let us ask you: We remember the statements of the US government regarding the Port of Anaklia - experts, various groups called on the Georgian authorities not to turn down the Anaklia Port project, but they did eventually. In your case, how do you see the sequel? This is also a very important political context for all this, the elections, Ivanishvili's prospects, etc. In this context, please tell us how you and the Georgian government are imagining the struggle and we must end our conversation.

It is no coincidence that a year ago, a bill was introduced in the United States called the Sanctions Act for Fair Business Practice in Georgia. When it comes to Anaklia, whether it's „Frontera“, „Iconia Capital“ or various companies who have a problem, all the American investment that is under this pressure and operates in an unfair environment, members of the current or former government who are violating these agreements, will be those objects that could potentially be sanctioned.

For example, what scale figures could these be? You know. Could he be, for example, Deputy Minister of Economy? Could it be a higher rank person or Bidzina Ivanishvili personally?

The legislation of the United States defines all this in such a way that it can be the former Prime Minister, the current Deputy Minister, and so on. This bill applies to members of current and former members of any position.

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

Pt.6
There is a growing aspiration in the western direction, in terms of values, business, education, etc. But on the government side, we have seen since 2013 that this vector is changing and has changed radically over the last few years.
Journalist - And your company has followed this vector change in your perception, as I see it. Because here you are also pointing out that the preferred conditions for gas imports that were given to Gazprom and SOCAR. And the Georgian government was negotiating with the Iranian government over gas imports. Interestingly, here’s the spirit of this letter very much echoing the spirit of the report and the letter that you have now mentioned. Are you the first source of this information or, conversely, are the sources those letters and reports that exist in America? That’s what I wanted to clarify. In this letter, you also talk about Gakharia's speech at the Georgia-Iran Business Forum in Tbilisi in 2017, where he said that Iranian investments have increased by 657%. Because of this, the topic has already been opened that Gakharia is also referred to as the lobbist of Iranian business in Georgia, which is not good for him at all, not only in the eyes of Americans. That is why they often accuse the Frontera of lobbying for certain topics, leading it to the US Congress in such a way. Let's explain this mechanism. What is the source of your allegations? Your impression, your feeling, your information or American sources?

Zaza - Here is this last letter, a letter from Senators Cruz and Cornyn, where we were cited as one of the largest American investors in the country. And, for that very reason, we were quoted in this letter. Members of the Georgian government have begun to speak out against the fact that "Frontera" is behind this letter, as well as behind other letters.

But is there a dose of truth here? If you just give them this information and then they check, naturally, you won't believe it, will you?

First of all, as far as information is concerned, since 1997, when we started working and investing in Georgia, we have been constantly meeting with the United States government in Washington, and not just in Washington. Since this was one of the large-scale projects, it started in 1997 and continues to this day because the potential that we have found and what we have discovered is very large for the country. Therefore, our work has always been closely monitored, but for some reason everyone forgot that in 2016, in this context, as mentioned in this letter, for example, Mr. Ivanishvili's relations with Russia and their interest in Georgia, Congressman Steve Russell addressed the Congress in 2016 with exactly the same context. So that then neither the "Frontera"`s arbitration ...

Remind me if you can in detail what you mean by "same context"?

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

Pt.5

Journalist - They probably don’t know that American Congressmen could lose everything in life because of this if they were noticed in this type of lobbying and could end up in a very big scandal.

Zaza - And, that’s exactly the problem. Here are people who don't even understand such elementary issues and don't even want to look at it and find out the detailed terms of the contract, in the sense that "now we have to stop the contract", "We couldn't do it in court?" Then let's try to use force. ”That's the problem.

Let’s assume that somehow the sharp criticism that the government has received from the West has cut it, and presumably it will no longer dare to force you to stop. Don’t you have the feeling that something has gone wrong? This issue is so politicized in the context of international politics, that it will probably have to give up power. Don’t you have that feeling?

Here is the issue. For this answer I will use the letter which was sent by senators Cruz and Cornyn and congressmen Markwayne Mullin and Judie Arington to State secretary and also Minister of Finance of USA. In the letter, one of the sentences was that "Mr. Ivanishvili and his government are cooperating with rivals and enemies of the United States, and this is at the expense of America's geopolitical and commercial interests." In addition, just a week ago, if I am not mistaken, the Republican Committee, which includes 147 members of Congress, also mentioned Mr. Ivanishvili in the National Security Report, who is destabilizing Georgia in the interests of Russia. These people, and these institutions in the United States, have a lot more information than me and our company management. Now, if we put in this context the story of what is happening to us after 2013, I think we can very well find the key to why all this is happening.

You wrote a rather harsh letter to Gakharia. Here I have this letter. Steve Nicandros, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Frontera Resources”, and you wrote a very scathing letter directly stating that "since 2013, we have seen growing anti-American sentiment and discriminatory attitudes toward important US investments and NGOs." Let's clarify one thing before we continue talking about this particular letter, what do you mean by the growth of anti-American sentiment? From the government or the general population? Is the anti-American sentiment growing among the population of Georgia?

We can't see. It doesn't look like that from our point of view. On the contrary.

I still can't see it and, therefore, I want to clarify what you mean by anti-American sentiment. From the government?
From the authorities, yes. On the contrary, over the years we have seen growing interest and growing support among the population.

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

Pt.4

Journalist - What a strange dead-end, I am trying to figure out with you the next steps.

Zaza - I’ll tell you what to do now in a minute because there’s no dead end. It says in the resolution that we have the right to continue, the contract says that we have the right to continue for many more years, just the government, which has been trying for the last 7 years to somehow terminate this agreement, tried in court, tried different methods. It did not work. And, the last thing they have left, is to try to do it by force. So there is no legal solution for them here anymore. They tried everything and did not succeed.

Can a forceful method be to send people to stop you physically?

Of course. For example, our employees and we are no longer allowed to do so, for example, operators are not allowed to continue drilling, extraction work, and so we are no longer allowed back to our investments.

However, it is difficult to imagine how this could actually happen, because of "Frontera" case which is, I think, one of the most painful for this government. In fact, the entire US Congress has been declared the lobbyist of the Frontera. And, if the Frontera is so strong, in their view, in principle, we know that the system doesn't work that way. But But in the understanding of our government, the lobbyist of "Frontera" is the whole Congress with its Chairman of its Foreign Affairs Committee., isn't it? In that case, how much risk do they take to carry out such an act and force the American company out of Georgia?

I think the problem is that our government is working in a different sense. Not on the condition that we have negotiated with the state for years and it is detailed in the agreement, not on the condition that it was determined by the international arbitration, where we were sued and, by the way, we did not even appear at the trial. The arbitral tribunal declared the other party in absentia as a loser. Well, that's the decent thing to do, and it should end there. By the way, it should be emphasized that all this has been added ... You have just mentioned that our government is no longer reluctant to curse the people in the United States who are expressing support for the growth of investments, the economic strengthening of Georgia, the political strengthening of Georgia. Now, the deputy parliament chairman said that they are lobbyists…

Could you please remind me that.

This was Mr. Kuchava, if I am not mistaken.

Kuchava? Do you mean that legendary letter? No, no that`s different

The public is so misled that it seems like it is a normal, legitimate business for a congressman to take money and make a supportive statement in exchange for that money.

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

Pt.3
The Oil and Gas Corporation and the state, which was represented by the Ministry of Economy’s Oil and Gas Agency, had 14 claims against us. Of these 14 requests, 12 courts were not satisfied. Only 2 were satisfied. 1 of these 2 requirements is that the territories where we do not extract oil and gas should be returned to the state ...
Journalist - Should be returned to the state. What percentage of these areas are there? Is it really 99% or very small? The talks were about 99%.

Zaza - They try to present it as 99%, but it is unclear how they report it or where it comes from. Anyway, all the areas where we are not doing this work, about 1 month ago, maybe more, 1.5 months ago, we have already returned to the state.

And, you don’t need these areas? You returned them because of the decision, right?

Yes. The decision was written that we have to return them. On the contrary, to be honest, the state should have asked us to keep these territories, because, for example, now there are no works in those areas, no investments are made and no people are employed. If we had kept these territories, now there would have been about 100 people working there. A search would be launched and if successful, we would have found more oil and gas in the area.

However, we know that state authorities say that you do not count the supplies, but the resources, and this is hypothetical, and in fact is that there are no supplies there. These are resources and therefore there are a lot of issues that you are constantly debating but the fact is that you really need to find some compromise. Can't it be like that? You read one decision in your own way, keep working, the state reads differently and thinks that the contract with you is practically terminated, right? So it turns out and they are going to terminate this contract. What should happen? How do you see this situation and what do you specifically demand if you can tell us?

Today, we made a public statement to the authorities, calling once again that neither by agreement, nor by the decision of the arbitral tribunal, nor by law, they have the right to unilaterally terminate the contract and no longer allow us to return to our investments and continue working. If they do it by force, it will be an expropriation, for example in Venezuela - Maduro is doing the same, or Putin is doing the same in Russia. Therefore, it is not legal. This will be a criminal act and today we once again publicly call on them not to do that ...

Or will they be forced to stop working? Is that how you see the situation? Or they will bering the executive and make you to stop the works/extraction or search work? I don't know exactly how this works. So, should they stop it?
The executive cannot be brought in because there is no such court decision. Even if there is a court decision relevant to this decision, the executive cannot be brought.

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

Pt.2
But even after that, they did not submit a proposal, and to our surprise, they addressed us so publicly about the meeting yesterday

Journalist - What is this all about? In principle, you do not find it difficult to make political assessments. Your statements are very bold. There are political statements, practically. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Take this assessment simply as my perception of the fact and its statement. I’m not saying something in context. Or what would it be? Isn't the process related to the fact that the Georgian government has pressure from the West, specifically from the United States - constant letters, a constant reminder that the American company is being harassed in Georgia. So did you have to? We know that, for example, the constitutional changes are because the government has somehow given us, the Georgian people, with the help of the West. Isn't Frontera the same story that they show Americans that they are ready to give up?

Zaza - I do not rule out that it is the result of this communication and this pressure that this step has been taken. It was as if some concessions had to be made. It was as if they wanted to consider some conditions. However, this is just a maneuver and another farce, the like of which we have seen many times in the past. And, the basis for this conclusion is that in the same statement they made yesterday, they continued the disinformation campaign, which has been going on for several months.

What you mean, specifically, is that you don’t meet the conditions, and so on. Do you mean that? What disinformation campaign are you referring to?

Because of the disinformation campaign that has been going on since the arbitral decision was published. It is because of this decision that the arbitral tribunal has not complied with their request to cancel the contract with us.

However, they say they have upheld the lawsuit. It is very interesting how the decision can be interpreted in such a way that the guilty verdict is satisfactory. Is such a thing possible at all? I do not know.

It is impossible. Such a thing does not happen, and especially at the level of arbitration of such a rank, when the decision on black and white is very clearly defined so that it leaves no room for speculation. But, nevertheless, they said ...

The Ministry of Economy reads that "the State Agency for oil and Gas Corporation has met the absolute majority of the interpretation of the contract norms and their claims." That's exactly what it's written about.
Can anyone draw any conclusions from this sentence? What does "interpretation of norms" mean? Arbitration ...

Looks like the oil and gas corporation interprets arbitral decision in its own way. It usually means that, doesn't it?

Posted by Looed on the 30th June :-

#10 Zaza interview TV Kavkasia, 25/06, 26m US$72.10 DUE 28/06
This was originally shown on TV Kavkasia, an opposition leaning channel

Pt.1

Journalist - In the first part of the show, we will talk about “Frontera”. A company that has become a very painful topic for the Georgian government, especially in terms of criticism from the American side about the government's crackdown on this company. In virtually every letter sent by the US Congressmen to the Georgian government, it is said that the Georgian government is harassing American interests and American business. For example, "Frontera" is always cited. Recently, more precisely yesterday, the Ministry of Economy announced that it is ready to resume negotiations with the company "Frontera", with which it intends to terminate the contract and find a compromise in order for the company to continue working in Georgia. How and in what form it is still unknown. In the first part of the program, Zaza Mamulaishvili, President of “Frontera”, will be our guest and we will talk about what happened after the announcement of the Ministry of Economy and whether any concrete steps have been taken to start these negotiations. Thank you Mr. Zaza for participating in the program. We know the official statement of the Ministry of Economy. The Deputy Minister of Economy said that they are ready to discuss the issues with your company and find such a compromise that it is possible to continue working on the mines owned by the company "Frontera" under certain conditions, of course, by receiving the appropriate guarantee from him. Did you have any specific, direct feedback from the Ministry of Economy? If you are planning a meeting or if you know what compromise can be talked about?

Zaza - Thank you so much for this opportunity. To be honest, we were a little surprised by such communication, especially when we were addressed in public about the meeting, and this was when we have signed the 1997 agreement with the state, we now have the exact terms and conditions for continuing to work on the fields that the Minister of Economy and his deputy referred to yesterday.

However, it has happened since you lost the dispute in the Arbitration Court, didn't you?

We have not lost the dispute

This is how it is interpreted. Let's talk about this as well, but before that what is the situation now? Did the Ministry of Economy contact you? Did they contact you directly?

We were addressed in public. We were directly contacted by the Deputy Minister last week that they wanted to make some commercial proposals, which ...

They wanted you to prepare the proposition?
No, they wanted to make a proposal for us, to which we agreed, of course, and said, “Yes, sir. As soon as you submit this proposal, we will be happy to meet you and discuss the details."

Posted by Earsbern on the 30th June :-

Document 74 - California
This is a formality. Following doc 73 last week, where all parties requested a deadline extension, this is just Judge Seeborg's formal granting of that extension.

Posted by WHamBoy on the 30th June :-

RE: Zaza Last Public Appearance ..
Gipps51 is right - this quiet period seems at least to be good news. Hopefully all sides are presently sat round a table negotiating the deal of the century.
And in that note, did anyone see the news if BP building-up their war chest once again this morning....I wonder if they have other plans for that money?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53222946

Posted by keysersoze on the 30th June :-

Part 2
To the question whether the image of the opposition will be affected if it does not participate in the voting of the constitutional amendments, however, the Georgian Dream will be able to approve the amendments and then release Rurua, Vano Machavaria that if these two main goals are achieved, the opposition will vote.

"I think Giorgi Rurua's release will be a reasonable step. When it will be released is a separate issue, but I think the opposition has taken a principled position. If these two goals - the change of the electoral system and the release of people motivated by political motives - are achieved, then the voters of the opposition will be satisfied and I do not think anything special will be created in this regard. In today's Georgian politics, the Georgian Dream's attempt to present itself as a beacon of democracy and the opposition as an anti-democratic, mixed force does not work. This is evidenced by the messages from Washington, Brussels and European capitals, where the Georgian Dream is urged not to deviate from the path of democratic development and not to become a country ruled by Putin's style, "- said Vano Machavariani.

We would like to remind you that according to the amendment of the US National Defense Act, cooperation with Georgia will continue if the country meets the conditions. The change belongs to James Rich, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

According to Rishi, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned Irakli Okruashvili and Gigi Ugulava, but Giorgi Rurua remains in prison. The U.S. Senate is urging the Georgian government and political leaders to refrain from tempting the authorities and to make the process more transparent.

Posted by keysersoze on the 30th June :-

27.06.2020 / 14:15
Vano Machavariani - Senator Jim Rish directly points out what it takes to make Georgia an ally of the United States

Senator Jim Rish directly points out what it takes to make Georgia an ally of the United States. In general, the release of Giorgi Rurua from prison will only benefit the country and the electoral process that our partner countries should recognize as fair and legitimate, - Vano Machavariani, former Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, told InterpressNews when It is an amendment to the Defense Act, which deals with the terms of cooperation with Georgia.

According to Machavariani, the Georgian Dream's claim that the State Department and the US Legislature have different positions on Georgia is false. According to him, the statements that the opinion of the senators and congressmen is not important are made to please Bidzina Ivanishvili.

"Senator Rishi's statement sends a direct message to what the current Georgian government needs to do in order not to lose the role and function of a strategic partner. This goes directly to Georgia's democratic development, the release of politically motivated people, and any interpretation that comes from Georgian Dream politicians is misleading the public and undermining the threat the country may face if the United States reconsiders cooperating with Georgia on defense, security or other issues. . The government is playing with fire. It is hard to imagine that Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani could not understand the direct message sent by the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which directly indicates what is needed for Georgia to be an ally of the United States. Overall, the release of Giorgi Rurua from prison will only benefit the country and the electoral process that our partner countries must recognize as fair and legitimate.

The legislative policy of the United States is not only determined by the legislature - the Senate, the Congress - but it is what finances the executive branch in pursuing this or that policy. Consequently, the Georgian Dream's lie that the State Department is in a different position and that the Senate and Congress are not important to them is a statement backed by David Zalkaliani and the Dream to glorify Bidzina Ivanishvili. He knows very well that this is not the case. The position of the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is crucial for the State Department to take further steps. The fact is that Senator Rish understands the situation in Georgia very well, the problems that exist in terms of democratic development, the danger of running a single, Putin-style state and trying to prevent Georgia from developing a similar scenario, "Machavariani said.

Posted by toatie on the 29th June :-

more news
CSOs Respond to German Ambassador’s Criticism for Opposing MP Kiladze Nomination to UN Committee
29/06/2020 - 17:18 76 Less than a minute
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TagsCSOsGermanyheadlineHubert KnirschSophio Kiladze

A group of 45 civil society organizations issued a statement on June 29, after German Ambassador Hubert Knirsch slammed them for appealing to UN Child Rights Committee to reject the candidacy of Sopio Kiladze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Responding to Ambassador’s reproval that they had launched attacks “of a personal nature” targeting Kiladze, local watchdogs refuted that their opposition to her nomination was driven by partisan politics.

German Ambassador’s statement that civil society outfits conflate reasoned criticism with political processes is astonishing, stressed the CSOs. “Such attitude endangers unfettered work of civil society outfits,” the group added.

The group reiterated that the selection process that resulted in picking Parliament Human Rights Committee Chair Sopio Kiladze “lacked transparency,” while the candidate failed to meet relevant qualifications to sit on the UN Committee.

A week ago, Georgian CSOs issued an appeal openly opposing the nomination of Sopio Kiladze to the UN Committee, citing her questionable track record in protecting human rights and “opaque” selection procedures.

On June 25, the German Embassy published a statement quoting Knirsch, who raised concern over the appeal, slamming local watchdogs for engaging in “attacks of a personal nature,” which he said was “regrettable” amid the “deplorably polarized political landscape” of Georgia.

Also read:

CSOs Oppose MP Kiladze Nomination to UN Child Rights Committee
German Ambassador’s Remarks Stir Controversy in Georgia

The last post was posted by toatie.
Posted by toatie on the 29th June :-

Georgia news
more news,PACE Co-rapporteurs Welcome Adoption of Constitutional Changes in Georgia
29/06/2020 - 19:52 12 Less than a minute
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Tags2020 pollsCouncil of EuropeGvote20headlineMarch 8 AgreementPACEParliament of Georgia

In a statement issued on June 29, the Co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE), welcomed the adoption of the constitutional amendments by the Georgian parliament – remodeling the electoral system ahead of October elections.

2020 parliamentary polls will now be “far more proportional than was previously the case, which potentially could allow for a more plural and representative parliament,” the co-rapporteurs highlighted.

Meanwhile, they expressed regret that the political agreement had not resulted “in a less tense and polarized political environment.”

Corlatean and Kern called on “all sides” to cooperate in order to implement “the remainder” of the March 8 agreement.

They also appealed to all stakeholders to refrain from statements actions conducive to polarization, which they said would “negatively affect the environment” necessary to hold “genuinely democratic elections.”

The Georgian parliament has approved constitutional amendments in a final round of voting today, introducing an electoral system agreed upon by the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition.

Also read:

PACE Co-rapporteurs: March 8 Agreement Offers “Window of Opportunity” for Georgia
PACE Co-Rapporteurs Hail Georgia’s Electoral Reform Agreement
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Posted by keysersoze on the 29th June :-

Senator Risch
just found this peice of news,Senator Risch Proposes to Make U.S. Aid Conditional on State of Democracy in Georgia
29/06/2020 - 19:01 27 1 minute read
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TagsGiorgi RuruaheadlineJim RischMarch 8 AgreementNational Defense Authorization ActU.S. SenateU.S.-Georgia relations

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair James Risch has proposed to add a rider to the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2021, making U.S. support to Georgia conditional on the state of democracy in the partner country.

The amendment, introduced by Risch (R-Idaho) on June 26, reaffirms “the desire for continued cooperation between the United States and Georgia,” should the Georgian government exhibit a good faith effort” to implement governance, economic, and anti-corruption reforms.

As stated in the proposed change, the U.S. Senate “urges the Government of Georgia to further strengthen the country’s democracy by improving judicial independence, including by implementing more transparent procedures to appoint judges for all courts and ending the practice of appointing judges who are unduly influenced by or loyal to the ruling party.”

The amendment mentions detentions of prominent Georgian figures, including former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, and Giorgi Rurua, the founder of opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV – all of whom are considered “political prisoners” by the Georgian opposition.

“Independent observers and Georgia’s political opposition maintain that these arrests were politically motivated,” reads the amendment.

The proposed bill says “U.S Senate recognizes the importance of the upcoming elections for the Parliament of Georgia, and calls on officials of the Government of Georgia to ensure that such elections are free, fair, peaceful, and conducted according to the rules agreed to on March 8.”

The amendment must be endorsed by the U.S. Senate to become the law.

Also read:

Senators Risch, Shaheen Welcome Presidential Pardon, Expect Giorgi Rurua’s Release
Georgia in the U.S. Military Budget for 2020
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Posted by keysersoze on the 29th June :-

RE: Georgia Electrol reforms
Adam Kinzinger: Congratulations to Parliament of Georgia on the final passage of amendments

18:08, 29.06.2020



US Congressman Adam Kinzinger congratulatesthe Georgian Parliament on approving the constitutional amendments.

“Congratulations to Parliament of Georgia on the final passage of amendments, and commend those who participated to ensure passage. I continue to call on all parties to fully implement March 8th agreement, and thank the US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan for continuing hard work and essential role” – Congressman posted on his Twitter page.

Today, the Parliament of Georgia has approved the Draft Constitutional Changes in its 3rd reading.

Posted by keysersoze on the 29th June :-

Georgia Electrol reforms
Georgian Lawmakers Approve Reforms To Parliamentary Election Process

June 29, 2020 13:05 GMT

Although the members of two opposition parties boycotted the vote, the bill was passed overwhelmingly by the lawmakers present at the parliamentary session. (file photo)

TBILISI -- Georgian lawmakers have approved a bill on election reforms following a foreign-brokered deal to change a system that opposition parties insisted unfairly favored the ruling party heading into elections this autumn.

Lawmakers of opposition National Movement and European Georgia parties boycotted the June 29 parliamentary session, saying one of the conditions of the March 8 deal, namely the release of opposition figure Giorgi Rurua from pretrial detention, had not been met. Still, the bill was approved by 117 lawmakers, with three voting against it.

The legislation takes effect once President Salome Zurabishvili signs it into law.

The amendments outlined in accordance with the March 8 memorandum of understanding facilitated by U.S. and European Union officials, dictate that parliament consists of 120 members elected through a proportional voting system, while 30 members would be elected through a majority system.

The electoral threshold for proportional elections will be set at 1 percent and a capping mechanism will mean that no single party receiving less than 40 percent of the votes cast will be allowed to hold a majority of seats in parliament.

Under the current electoral system, 73 of 150 parliamentary seats are claimed by candidates who finish first in district races. The remaining seats are distributed proportionally in accordance with the national share of the vote that a party wins.

This led to Georgian Dream, led by billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, holding three-quarters of the legislature's seats even though it won just under half of the popular vote.

Giorgi Rurua (center) was arrested on November 18.

Opposition parties have insisted that three opposition figures, including Rurua, the founder and a shareholder of the opposition-aligned Mtavari Arkhi TV, must be released from custody in order to meet all the conditions of the March 8 deal.

Georgian Dream has said the release of opposition figures from custody was not a condition of the agreement.

In mid-May, President Zurabishvili pardoned two opposition politicians, Gigi Ugulava, the leader of the European Georgia party, who once served as Tbilisi Mayor, and former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who leads the Victorious Georgia party. Many thought then that Rurua would also be released, but this has not happened.

Rurua was arrested on November 18 and charged with illegally purchasing, possessing, and carrying a firearm, which he and his supporters have denied. Opposition parties insist that Rurua’s arrest was politically motivated.

Posted by Looed on the 29th June :-

Working with the translator - Update
Currently, we work via an online platform which takes a commission for every project.

I have been able to find a work-around (lots of nudge nudge wink wink type stuff as the site is monitored to prevent this sort of thing) and going forward we will deal with the translator on a direct basis. This means we can expect cost price reductions on future projects.

It also means the money goes directly to the translator and won't be held in an escrow account as it is now.

I want this new system to mean we get treated as a higher priority so we get translations back at a faster rate. I am still in discussions on this point.

We are still working out the payment system but I think that will be easy to resolve.

It does mean you need to trust that I continue to negotiate in good faith. The new system is really no different to the current one, we will now chat to each other directly and not via the website chatroom. There will still be a paper trail. No one has questioned anything I have done so far so I assume this new system will also be OK.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks.

Posted by Gipps51 on the 29th June :-

Morning Looed , once again thank you for all you do.

There are 40 TV channels in Georgia, only 4 have national coverage these are Channel I, Imedi, Rustavi 2 and Ajara.

Do you know if Zaza has been on any of the above channels yet ?

Thank you .

Posted by Looed on the 29th June :-

Morning Gipps51 - I know he has been on Imedi (Translation #7). Many of the links we get are from Youtube / FaceBook so its not alway clear what the original source is.

I always refer to this PDF when I want to see what type of channel Zaza is appearing on, you might find it of interest as well -

https://www.transparency.ge/sites/default/files/media_mplobeloba-e_1.pdf

Hi ThaiSmile - I do see your point but to be honest, I don't have the luxury or the time to take the moral high ground right now. The amount of work involved in going onto the platform, raising a milestone, then rearranging milestones, updating due dates so it doesn't impact the translators score card, waiting for him to rearrange his milestones with his other clients so we can move forward is exhausting.

The translator suggested this way to, yes reduce costs, and yes maybe he makes a bit more cash. But if it means I can avoid all the additonal admin work and we get translations quicker and a bit cheaper than I think its worth it. We will know pretty quickly if this new way works or not.

Posted by Looed on the 29th June :-

Translation #5 has been cancelled
This translation was an interview with Zaza dated 5th June. It keeps getting pushed back as new projects come in. Cancelling this means the other videos can now be completed at a faster rate.

It's likely this interview contains all the talking points we already know and has been superseded by more recent events. Here is the link to the video -

https://palitranews.ge/video/sakme-frontera-vs-sakartvelos-mtavroba

If anyone feels strongly that we should still translate this then please speak up.

All translations are paid in advance, so we now have a credit to apply to any new projects that come in.

Posted by Looed on the 29th June :-

Translation #11, TV item with Zaza, 3m.30s, 25/06, $15.45
"J1 - A briefing is being organized by the Georgian Strategic Center and we are offering it live

Nodar Kharshiladze (G.S.A.C.) Hello everyone. Today we gathered representatives of public organizations, businesses and political circles. Our goal is to launch a new campaign on US-Georgia relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, our relations have never been at such a low point, when, practically every week, the critical letters of our government come from the United States, which is very shameful for Georgia. Here is a very famous letter from Ted Cruz, who personally blames Bidzina Ivanishvili. There are many different reasons for this, including political. But one of the main reasons is also the oppression of American business in Georgia, the oppression of American capital, which is very bad and very unfortunate and which causes 2 problems. One is the political dimension, which is politically damaging to Georgia and hurts our image in the United States. And, secondly, there is, of course, economic damage, which prevents the entry of American capital, which is so necessary in times of economic hardship, and the well-being of Georgian citizens. I ask my friends and colleagues to expand these topics. Please, Mr. Zaza.

Zaza -Thank you very much. I am Zaza Mamulaishvili, President and Chief Executive Officer of “Frontera Resources”. Our company has been working in Georgia for 23 years. Today it is the largest American investor in the country. It has created tremendous value for Georgia as a result of our work, but we face incredible resistance from the Georgian government because of the discriminatory attitude towards our and American businesses. Due to this deteriorating investment environment, we express our concern and are very grateful to NGOs, Mr. Giorgi Vashadze, and others who have grasped the importance of this issue and will work with us to create better conditions for American companies and American investment in the country, especially in the conditions of such a ruined economy. Now I would like to give a word to my colleague.

Thank you, Zaza. My name is Seth Char and I am CEO of Iconia Capital LLC. We are 100% American owned financed real estate developer. And we are from sunny state of Hawaii. Now over the past 5 years, has been under the constant threat and attack by rogue elements in the Georgian government and in the Georgian court system. So, it is our hope today that we are having an opportunity to share our story to identify the parties involved against us and make a call to Georgian authorities that they have an obligation under both local laws and international laws to protect American investors and their businesses in this country. It is my hope that with coordination with authorities in Georgia that we will be able to develop Georgia into the shiny star"

https://formulanews.ge/News/