Dagestan has passed a bill cancelling direct elections of heads of municipalities, the Dagestanskaya Pravda newspaper writes. They will be elected by a representative structure of municipal members. Heads of municipalities elected by the population will stay in office. Legislators are harmonizing the law. Most lawmakers approved the bill initiated by Dagestani Leader Ramazan Abdulatipov.
The Chief Doctor of the Dagestani Republic Health Center, Abdula Gajiyev, approves of the law: “A lot depends on how the elections go. They will certainly bring a positive result, given a proper approach. MPs authority to elect a municipal head should promote candidates taking into account their personal characteristics.” In his opinion, it is important for the government to have people who went through the filter of public opinion.
The head of the Laksky District, Yusup Magomedov, expressed confidence that the law cancelling direct elections of heads of municipalities was the right decision, especially at that moment. “I think adoption of the law will strengthen the power vertical, just what we need now,” he said.
Gasan Aygunov, the head of the social monitoring commission of Dagestan, wants nationwide elections. In his opinion, as the head of a district or the republic, a person should be elected directly, not by their representatives. He reminds that the government is already out of touch with the population and the new restriction on voters’ rights would only make the gap bigger. There are many opinions but one thing is certain, concludes the newspaper, as long as there is no order, corruption mechanisms will continue to run in any case.
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NATO Liaison Officer William Lahue has commented on the prospects of Georgia joining the Alliance in an interview with the Svobodnaya Gruziya newspaper. At the Wales summit, he said, a package of intensified cooperation was passed, stipulating enforcement of Georgia’s defenses, more active cooperation with NATO and assistance of the organization in strengthening Georgian Armed Forces. An officer responsible for planning was sent to Georgia right after the summit to start implementation of the cooperation package. In Lahue’s opinion, it is a very important political decision. Concerning the terms of Georgia’s membership, it is an individual decision of NATO members that will be made by consensus. Lahue assured that Georgia was not doing bad in integrating into the Alliance. He reminded that Lithuania needed 10 years to join, one other partner needed over 12.
According to the official, the geographic distance of Georgia from Europe and 70 years of isolation from Europe are an important factor.
In his opinion, the steps Georgia has made towards NATO, such as deployment of troops for the operation in Afghanistan, make Georgia a more recognized participant of European and Euro-Atlantic cooperation. One of the provisions of the package allows Georgia to send more officers to NATO headquarters. Thus, Georgian officers will be involved in daily decision-making. It will expand relations and improve trust. In 2015, Georgia joined the NATO Response Force. It will be the main indicator for the Alliance. Georgia’s enormous contribution to the ISAF mission makes Georgia more reliable as a potential member of the Alliance, assures Lahue.
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The problem of crossing the Georgian border from the Leningor District has become an especially topical problem, the Yuzhnaya Osetiya paper reports. Residents of the Leningor and the Dzau districts of South Ossetia without local citizenship are given passes to cross the border. They are basically Georgian citizens. The South Ossetian side does not recognize Georgian passports. They were invited to get IDs in South Ossetia.
The system has been in force since 2008, but the problem has become more acute now that the South Ossetian State Security Committee has become responsible for pass-issuing. The document is issued after a scrupulous check and only to people actually living in South Ossetia.
A lot more passes than actual residents had been given before. Besides about 2,000 residents of Leningor and its outskirts, 2,500 more people living and working in Georgia as refugees from South Ossetia got passes.
Boris Chochiyev, the head of the Presidential Administration, said that many had received refugee documents after the war with Georgia, refugee towns with over 5,000 cottages were built for them for political purposes. Foreign delegations often visit them to see the Georgian population driven out of the district. They can freely cross the border with South Ossetia and live in their houses in the Leningor District. The official denied they were forced to leave. Pass-issuing has been halted.
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The Azerbaijani Ministry for Labour and Social Protection has started construction of socio-rehabilitation centers, Region Plus reports. They are specialized rehabilitation centers for the under-aged and education centers for the blind in Baku, centers for adaption of ex-convicts from the Gobustan District. The centers will open in late 2014. Documents have been prepared for construction of rehabilitation centers for 30 people and social refuges for 25 in Ganja, the districts of Aghjabadi, Quba, Masalli, Sheki, Tovuz, Ismailli, Salyan.
The centers will offer social and psychological services. Children’s centers will give children legal and medical assistance. Social staff will find children on the streets and bring them to refuges. If they have families, their parents will be contacted.
Such centers in Azerbaijan function as parts of NGOs. The government has now decided to create its own centers. 2 million manats have been granted for development of children with limited abilities. The Ministry for Labour and Social Protection has initiated tenders for social orders among NGOs. Social centers for the elderly will be formed in the future. The ministry expects 1,400 social specialists helping about 15,000 elderly people to operate in other sectors.
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A group of leading Moscow oncology and haematology specialists has arrived in Vladikavkaz for a two-day seminar organized by specialists and students of North Ossetia, the Severnaya Ossetia newspaper reports.
Professor Alexander Rumyantsev, the director of the Rosmedtekhnologii Center for Children’s Haematology, Oncology and Immunology, the chief paediatrician of the Moscow Healthcare Department, consulted patients of the children’s haematology and oncology department of the Republican Children’s Hospital. The professor checked the department and called it fully equipped for cooperation with the main federal center. According to Rumyantsev, the Center plans to cooperate with the children’s hospital of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetian children with oncological and haematological diseases will be treated at the Dima Rogachev Center, then at local departments under supervision of Moscow doctors.
Marina Burnatseva, the head of the haematological and oncological department of the children’s hospital, emphasized that adjoining the North Ossetian department to the system of multi-center research will give North Ossetians access to advanced protocols for treatment of oncology. The main federal center will help with diagnostics and expensive medications, patients will no longer need to live in Moscow for 8-12 months. They will also be assisted by the Podari Zhizn Fund.
Caucasus domestic and foreign political events in local pressDagestan has passed a bill cancelling direct elections of heads of municipalities, the Dagestanskaya Pravda newspaper writes. They will be elected by a representative structure of municipal members. Heads of municipalities elected by the population will stay in office. Legislators are harmonizing the law. Most lawmakers approved the bill initiated by Dagestani Leader Ramazan Abdulatipov.The Chief Doctor of the Dagestani Republic Health Center, Abdula Gajiyev, approves of the law: “A lot depends on how the elections go. They will certainly bring a positive result, given a proper approach. MPs authority to elect a municipal head should promote candidates taking into account their personal characteristics.” In his opinion, it is important for the government to have people who went through the filter of public opinion.The head of the Laksky District, Yusup Magomedov, expressed confidence that the law cancelling direct elections of heads of municipalities was the right decision, especially at that moment. “I think adoption of the law will strengthen the power vertical, just what we need now,” he said.Gasan Aygunov, the head of the social monitoring commission of Dagestan, wants nationwide elections. In his opinion, as the head of a district or the republic, a person should be elected directly, not by their representatives. He reminds that the government is already out of touch with the population and the new restriction on voters’ rights would only make the gap bigger. There are many opinions but one thing is certain, concludes the newspaper, as long as there is no order, corruption mechanisms will continue to run in any case.* * *NATO Liaison Officer William Lahue has commented on the prospects of Georgia joining the Alliance in an interview with the Svobodnaya Gruziya newspaper. At the Wales summit, he said, a package of intensified cooperation was passed, stipulating enforcement of Georgia’s defenses, more active cooperation with NATO and assistance of the organization in strengthening Georgian Armed Forces. An officer responsible for planning was sent to Georgia right after the summit to start implementation of the cooperation package. In Lahue’s opinion, it is a very important political decision. Concerning the terms of Georgia’s membership, it is an individual decision of NATO members that will be made by consensus. Lahue assured that Georgia was not doing bad in integrating into the Alliance. He reminded that Lithuania needed 10 years to join, one other partner needed over 12.According to the official, the geographic distance of Georgia from Europe and 70 years of isolation from Europe are an important factor.In his opinion, the steps Georgia has made towards NATO, such as deployment of troops for the operation in Afghanistan, make Georgia a more recognized participant of European and Euro-Atlantic cooperation. One of the provisions of the package allows Georgia to send more officers to NATO headquarters. Thus, Georgian officers will be involved in daily decision-making. It will expand relations and improve trust. In 2015, Georgia joined the NATO Response Force. It will be the main indicator for the Alliance. Georgia’s enormous contribution to the ISAF mission makes Georgia more reliable as a potential member of the Alliance, assures Lahue.* * *The problem of crossing the Georgian border from the Leningor District has become an especially topical problem, the Yuzhnaya Osetiya paper reports. Residents of the Leningor and the Dzau districts of South Ossetia without local citizenship are given passes to cross the border. They are basically Georgian citizens. The South Ossetian side does not recognize Georgian passports. They were invited to get IDs in South Ossetia.The system has been in force since 2008, but the problem has become more acute now that the South Ossetian State Security Committee has become responsible for pass-issuing. The document is issued after a scrupulous check and only to people actually living in South Ossetia.A lot more passes than actual residents had been given before. Besides about 2,000 residents of Leningor and its outskirts, 2,500 more people living and working in Georgia as refugees from South Ossetia got passes.Boris Chochiyev, the head of the Presidential Administration, said that many had received refugee documents after the war with Georgia, refugee towns with over 5,000 cottages were built for them for political purposes. Foreign delegations often visit them to see the Georgian population driven out of the district. They can freely cross the border with South Ossetia and live in their houses in the Leningor District. The official denied they were forced to leave. Pass-issuing has been halted.* * *The Azerbaijani Ministry for Labour and Social Protection has started construction of socio-rehabilitation centers, Region Plus reports. They are specialized rehabilitation centers for the under-aged and education centers for the blind in Baku, centers for adaption of ex-convicts from the Gobustan District. The centers will open in late 2014. Documents have been prepared for construction of rehabilitation centers for 30 people and social refuges for 25 in Ganja, the districts of Aghjabadi, Quba, Masalli, Sheki, Tovuz, Ismailli, Salyan.The centers will offer social and psychological services. Children’s centers will give children legal and medical assistance. Social staff will find children on the streets and bring them to refuges. If they have families, their parents will be contacted.Such centers in Azerbaijan function as parts of NGOs. The government has now decided to create its own centers. 2 million manats have been granted for development of children with limited abilities. The Ministry for Labour and Social Protection has initiated tenders for social orders among NGOs. Social centers for the elderly will be formed in the future. The ministry expects 1,400 social specialists helping about 15,000 elderly people to operate in other sectors.* * *A group of leading Moscow oncology and haematology specialists has arrived in Vladikavkaz for a two-day seminar organized by specialists and students of North Ossetia, the Severnaya Ossetia newspaper reports.Professor Alexander Rumyantsev, the director of the Rosmedtekhnologii Center for Children’s Haematology, Oncology and Immunology, the chief paediatrician of the Moscow Healthcare Department, consulted patients of the children’s haematology and oncology department of the Republican Children’s Hospital. The professor checked the department and called it fully equipped for cooperation with the main federal center. According to Rumyantsev, the Center plans to cooperate with the children’s hospital of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetian children with oncological and haematological diseases will be treated at the Dima Rogachev Center, then at local departments under supervision of Moscow doctors.Marina Burnatseva, the head of the haematological and oncological department of the children’s hospital, emphasized that adjoining the North Ossetian department to the system of multi-center research will give North Ossetians access to advanced protocols for treatment of oncology. The main federal center will help with diagnostics and expensive medications, patients will no longer need to live in Moscow for 8-12 months. They will also be assisted by the Podari Zhizn F
