Marneuli Has New Interim District Governor

Manon Bokuchava, Kvemo Kartli

Marneuli municipal board elected Paata Abramishvili of the Georgian Dream to the position of an interim district governor.

Humanrights.ge reported about ongoing events in Marneuli district late in December too. Former district governor Zaza Dekanoidze told us he was ready to resign if local Georgian Dream’s office would agree on one candidate. Dekanoidze made this decision because of ongoing protest assemblies in front of the district administration.

Recently elected interim governor Abramishvili was platoon commander at Marneuli district special unit of the MIA in 1980s. Since 2001, he continued his career in Cartu Group (owned by Georgian Dream’s leader Bidzina Ivanishvili). He was a project manager at Elitaburji Company.

As for his connection with the Georgian Dream, Abramishvili said he was head of Marneuli mobile group of the Coalition only during one month.

Employees of the district administration are more interested of their future fate than in the past career of Abramishvili. “I am not going to start massive personnel changes. It will be craziness; I do not want the system to collapse. People shall continue working. Cases of every employee will be revised and who works honestly and is good specialist, will not leave job,” said Abramishvili.

Nevertheless, according to unofficial information, Abramishvili told heads of different services of Marneuli district administration that he will have to fire them. “The new governor explained to them that it was an instruction from above,” the source of information told us. The interim governor denied this information.

Chairman of the fraction National Movement Giorgi Shukakidze does not confirm information about possible dismissal of heads of various services at district administration but cannot categorically deny it either. “I have not heard this statement from Abramishvili but I heard our employees speaking about it. As for the cooperation between the district governor and municipal board, we do not have any problems so far. We are ready for cooperation and will assist him in good initiatives. As for dismissal of specialists, according to my information it is not planned yet but if it happens, believe me I will have strict reaction on it,” said Shukakidze.

First person, who already quitted Marneuli district administration, is Aleksandre Metreveli, former deputy governor. He, known as best financer in the district, left job based on his personal resignation application.