Influences of the regional governor and personnel changes in the Gori self-government

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

Gori municipality first deputy mayor Gela Kapanadze quitted the position based on his resignation letter. According to the information of humanrights.ge, the Shida Kartli regional governor decided to fire deputy mayor in 2018. Reportedly the reason of his decision was failed infrastructural projects and unused 2 million GEL in the 2018 local budget; Gela Kapanadze coordinated infrastructural projects in the local government. The Gori Municipality Mayor too imposed responsibility for failed projects on him. 

According to the disseminated information, if Kapanadze had quitted job without noise, he would have been appointed to the position of the Head of Culture and Tourism Agency of Gori. 

Humanrights.ge tried to contact Gela Kapanadze but he did not answer phone calls; he has not made any comments with other media either and did not clarify real reasons of his resignation. 

Gori Municipality Mayor Konstantine Tavzarashvili is saying that the deputy mayor has not left job because of failed infrastructural projects and unused budget funds.

“He quitted job based on his resignation letter; maybe we will move him to another position,” Tavzarashvili said. 

Together with the resignation of the deputy mayor, it was officially confirmed that the head of the infrastructural service of the City Hall Zurab Jalaghania also left hob. According to one of the versions, the regional governor “suggested” him to leave the position. However, official reason of his resignation is his own letter. Unofficially, the reason was the unlawfully issued construction permissions by his office. 

Zurab Jalaghania also keeps silence with media like the Gori Municipality Mayor and Regional Governor.

Konstantine Tavzarashvili said Jalaghania left job based on his resignation letter. 

“Jalaghania wrote resignation letter. We will announce competition and the new person will be selected as a result of competition,” the mayor said.

Opposition does not doubt that the Gori Municipality Mayor is nominal person nowadays and the Shida Kartli Regional Governor leads the entire political process including the human resources policy in Gori municipality. 

“The regional governor holds all leverages in the self-government that kills the essence of the self-governance,” said Vasilisa Jabakhidze, member of the Gori Municipality Council from the United National Movement; she said the personnel changes in the local government aims to empower Khojevanishvili’s allies in the municipality instead improvement of the situation. 

Giorgi Khojevanishvili refused to make any comments with media; his press-center reported that the regional governor categorically excludes his participation in the personnel changes in the local self-government. 

Soon after being appointed on the position, Giorgi Khojevanishvili obtained influence over the Gori Municipality Mayor. First personnel changes in the municipality city hall were connected with his influences, when his friend and group-mate Bachana Gvianishvili occupied the position of the Head of the Public Services and Amenities in the City Hall.