Deputy Police Chief Became Kareli District Interim Governor

Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli

Kareli municipal board demonstrated mistrust to the Kareli district interim governor Emiko Peikrishvili and voted for the former police officer Zaza Guliashvili on the position of interim district governor at the special session. With majority of votes, Guliashvili replaced Peikrishvili. What was reason of the personnel changes? Peikrishvili could not answer this question; board chairman and board members also avoided answers.

Near the Kareli district administrative building, an incident occurred between the supporters of the former interim governor Emiko Peikrishvili and new interim governor Zaza Guliashvili.

“There was much illegality during Saakashvili’s governance and the same happens now. Police controlled the government and they still control them today; we are oppressed from law enforcement bodies,” one of Peikrishvili’s supporters said.

Based on the decree of the municipal board chairman the board members fired Peikrishvili and appointed former deputy head of Kareli district police department Zaza Guliashvili to the position. Board members, who voted for Zaza Guliashvili’s candidature, avoid speaking about the legality of the decision.

The decision of the board chairman was a surprise for Emiko Peikrishvili: “I was called to arrive in Kareli. I was in Batumi. Having arrived I found similar situation here; the board chairman had written a resolution on my resignation and the board was preparing for the special session. I asked them about the motive and reasons but the chairman said it was his prerogative to make similar decision; I could not hear any other explanations,” Peikrishvili said.

Head of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association’s Gori office Ketevan Bebiashvili said the decision of the municipal board was illegal. She attended the board session and clarified to the members that they were breaching the law because they had no right to elect a non-board member person. Bebiashvili said that in accordance to the law on local self-governance and public service, the municipal board had to elect deputy district governor to the position of the interim district governor.

“The basis of the annulment of the appointment decree was vague. It was not clear why they needed to invite external person to the district administration while the former district governor had a deputy. One more issue is that the municipal board had to announce vacancy competition for the position of district governor long before that is envisaged by the law on public service. Kareli municipal board has already elected fourth interim district governor,” Bebiashvili said.

Municipal board chairman Paata Gviniashvili did not comment based on which argument he decided to fire Peikrishvili. At the session he clarified that it happened based on his decree. Emiko Peikrishvili continues working as an interim district governor and believes that the chairman’s decision was illegal and he misled board members too. At this stage, the district governor refrains from appealing to the court.