Political Cleansing in Kazbegi

Vakho Chincharauli
Information Center of Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Supporters of the Coalition “Georgian Dream” were fired from their jobs in Kazbegi. Mirian Tsiklauri, majoritarian candidate for the Georgian Dream, told ICMM that police has been targeting their activists for the last ten days, fining them for traffic violations.

“Jaba Gomiashvili was fired from his job. On July 1, 2012 he met Bidzina Ivanishvili at the entrance to Stepantsminda on horseback. He took Georgian Dream’s flag up on the Mountain Mkinvartsveri. Several days later he was fired from his job; Jaba was a rescue team member in Gudauri,” Nona Sujashvili, head of Georgian Dream’s Kazbegi office told ICMM.

She also said that another Georgian Dream supporter, Giorgi Tsamalaidze was also fired from his job at a hotel in Gudauri.

“A nurse at the Kazbegi District Hospital, Diana Avsanjashvili, was also compelled to quit her job because of her political affiliation. Tsitsia Katsashvili, the head of the Culture Service of Kazbegi District Administration, was also fired after her husband publicly declared his discontent with the United National Movement (UNM). Several employees of the Liberty Bank’s Kazbegi office, including the head of the office, Nino Kushashvili, were compelled to hand in resignation letters because of their support for the Georgian Dream. According to our information, Mtskheta-Mtianeti regional governor Tsezar Chocheli demanded that the Liberty Bank administration fire them. Patrol police also targets our activists and supporters. They have imposed hefty fines on the Georgian Dream’s supporters,” Nona Sujashvili said.

Kazbegi district governor Davit Gudushauri said that Tsitsia Katsashvili quit her job by her own volition. “A week ago, she filed her resignation letter because the family runs a business and needed help with it. Some people do not fulfill their duties properly and do not treat old people properly when they applied to the Culture Service for help. We should not connect everybody’s resignation with the opposition parties,” the Kazbegi district governor said.

Dodo Bochorishvili, the head of the Public Relations Department at Liberty Bank categorically denied any information about political motives being behind the dismissal of people from their Kazbegi office: “We do not fire people on political grounds. It is incorrect information,” Bochorishvili said.