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Zestaponi District Governor Elected through Controversy

November 9, 2012

Mari Tabidze, Zestaponi

On November 2, Zestaponi district governor was to be elected on the session of municipal board. Zestaponi district residents occupied the hall in protest before session started. The meeting started later than it was scheduled. Zestaponi district majortiarian MP Gogi Kavtaradze was with local citizens; they protested Kakha Getsadze’s candidature for the governor.

Before the session Georgian Dream’s candidate Davit Magradze expressed wish to become a district governor.

At the session the municipal board members discussed issue of former district governor Givi Arabidze’s resignation and the issue was supported. In parallel to it, National Movement proposed Kakha Getsadze’s candidature to the position of district governor.

Population protested Getsadze’s candidature as soon as he was nominated. They claimed nobody knows him and he had never supported people before.

Kakha Getsadze spoke about reasons of his leaving Zestaponi district. “I did not leave Zestaponi based on my own decision. That time regional governor Lasha Makatsaria and leaders of district government compelled me to leave the district,” said Getsadze.

Gogi Kavtaradze asked permission to make a speech at the session and he suggested board members to consider the issue carefully. “Allegedly Kakha Getsadze’s candidature for the district governor’s position was agreed with the local representatives of the Georgian Dream. I would like to clarify that we have our candidate who will be nominated at the session and we will try to elect him. It is Davit Magradze who supported Coalition. I personally kindly asked board members to consider the public opinion because each of them was elected by people,” MP Gogi Kavtaradze said.

Later Davit Magradze changed his mind to participate in the district governor’s elections and declared mistrust to the municipal board. He appealed to them: “I had prepared all documents to nominate my candidature at the session but I am not going to participate in nasty deal of this municipal board so I changed my mind to take part in the elections.”

At the end of the session MP Akaki Minashvili entered the hall. His appearance caused dissatisfaction of the people; locals met him shouting and demanded him to leave the hall; however, he took seat next to the board chairman. Society got irritated with this fact and Chairman Merab Maskharashvili announced a break in the session.

“Board session is public process and Georgian Dream’s representatives clearly intimidate the board members,” Akaki Minashvili said at the break.

As soon as session renewed chairman started ballot to elect Kakha Getsadze to the position of district governor in a hurry and he was elected with majority of votes.

Activists of the Georgian Dream said: “Such an astonishing fact has never occurred before. Akaki Minashvili blatantly interfered in the activities of the municipal board.”

It is strange but the municipal board elected new district governor without issuing resolution on the dismissal of previous one. Moreover, they did not announce the position vacant that is direct violation of the local self-governmental law.

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