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Struggle with the Methods of Monster

September 27, 2010
Mari Otarashvili, Akhalgori-Tbilisi

The villages of Kaspi and Dusheti districts – Akhmaji, Ksovrisi, Odzisi, Largvisi and Okami – have not been supplied with the irrigation water for four months already. Representatives of the Akhalgori district de-facto administration state they are not going to supply the villages with water until Georgian side restores gas-supply for the Ksani Valley.

The Georgian side keeps silence and cannot assist the villages left without water. The Mtskheta-Mtianeti regional governor Cesar Chocheli said “Ossetian side tries to annoy us by blocking the water.”

After the war in August, Akhalgori district remained without electricity. Georgian side, more precisely the minister of energy of Georgia Aleksandre Khetaguri stated that ministry continued to supply the Ksani Valley with electricity as it “usually did”. Simply, “the electricity cannot reach the subscribers because of damaged system. Since we cannot control the territory, we cannot send specialists to repair the system,” said Khetaguri.

“Everything is false. There is no significant damage here. Georgian side does not want to supply us with electricity regularly and they should state it directly,” replied the representatives of the Ossetian administration of Akhalgori district. One day the de-facto authority got fed up with the irregular supply of electricity and they stretched the electricity wires from Tskhinvali.

Akhalgori district has been supplied with electricity from Tskhinvali since December of 2009 and they pay3-4 tetri per kilowatt (the minimal price for a kilowatt electricity in Georgia is 11, 42 tetri). As soon as the district was supplied from Tskhinvali district, the ministry of energy of Georgia cut off the electricity supply for the district.

Then they attended to the gas-supply too. After the war in August of 2008, the Georgian side irregularly supplied Akhalgori district with electricity but completely stopped gas supply for them.

After the Akhalgori district stopped water supply for the villages of Dusheti and Kaspi districts, the Akhalgori district legitimate governor Zura Pitskhelauri unsuccessfully requested the Ossetian administration to restore the water supply.

One day, when Pitskhelauri arrived in Akhalgori for the negotiations, the Ossetian security service officers detained and interrogated him. However, the district governor avoided speaking about this fact with the media sources. After this incident Pitskhelauri realized that negotiations were useless and stopped it.

Reportedly, Ossetian side several times requested to restore gas supply for Akhalgori district at Geneva Discussions. Early this year, Boris Chochiev (plenipotentiary representative of the de-facto president of South Ossetia in the regulation of post-conflict situations) stated that unless the Georgian side seriously discusses the restoration of gas supply for Akhalogori district, they would block the irrigation system for Kaspi and Dusheti districts. The Georgian side replied to this request by silence; or stated: “Although we supply Akhalgori with gas, the system is damaged and it cannot reach the district.”

Afterwards, the negotiation on the issue temporarily subdued. As Akhalgori residents claim, the summer-time reminded the Ossetian side of their request and ultimatum because blocking the water could have better impact in summer than in winter.

The ministry of energy of Georgia used one more argument alongside the “damages.” Deputy Minister Mariam Valishvili said besides the damaged pipes, the commercial issue should also be clarified. It means the ability of the Akhalgori district to pay the bills.

Gas-supply of Akhalgori district is one of the most urgent topics at Geneva Negotiations. At one of the recent negotiations Boris Chochiev once more announced the position of the Ossetian side: “Install gas-meter in the neutral part of Georgian-Ossetian side in order to make it eminent for everybody how much gas is spent by one Leningori resident. We are ready to pay everything.”

The Geneva Negotiations still do not have any output; Akhalgori district remains without gas, and villages of Kaspi and Dusheti district without water. The state minister for reintegration of Georgia Temur Iakobashvili does not think the Ossetian side took serious measures by blocking the water.

“Supply me with gas or I will not give you water– it is very unserious statement. The ministry of energy should resolve this problem,” said Iakobashvili.

The ministry officials state that they are ready to supply Akhalgori district with gas only after the commercial issue is agreed.

“Are not they ashamed of similar false statements?! It is the same lie as they used to say regarding electricity. We will supply the district with gas from Tskhinvali like we did it regarding the electricity. How can Georgian people dare to speak with us then?” stated the de-facto officials from Akhalgori district.

Officials from Tskhinvali district also speak about unpleasant attitude of local people towards Georgian side. “It is over! It is illusion to dream about reintegration of South Ossetia into Georgia. Do not dream about it hence.”

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