Regional Governor’s Capriciousness Leaves Pensioners Hungry

Regional Governor’s Capriciousness Leaves Pensioners Hungry

It has been nearly two months already since the Free Meal Center, opened by the Nationalist Movement, was closed.  Eliko Lezhava, an old age pensioner whose only shelter is the ruined former building of the Gori Narcological Center, goes to the Center in hope to see it reopened. Eliko used to take meals home for her mother who is very old and disabled.

The reason for the closure of the Free Meal Center is not known to its former manager - Tamaz Abramidze. “When Lado Gegelashvili left Gori, the Free Meal Center stopped giving away food. I can tell you nothing. You should talk to Vasiko Makharashvili”, Abramidze told us.

MP Lado Gegelashvili is a person we were advised to contact. He is from Variani, a village in the Gori region. It should be mentioned that since Lado Gegelashvili left the position as Head of the Nationalist Party in Gori, the door to the office has not been opened. The Nationalists in Gori have been left without a head since April 18th, 2006.

Since 2003 Lado Gegelashvili was first head of the Young Nationalists and then the Head of the Nationalist Party. On April 18th 2006, the Deputy Governors, Marlen Nadiradze and Gia Mchedlidze, and MP Teo Tlashadze held a Nationalists’ meeting and demanded that Gegelashvili leave his position. Marlen Nadiradze and Teo Tlashadze offered Vasiko Makharashvili (an employee of the Defense Ministry) the position instead. However, his candidature was blocked by the Nationalists’ General Deputy- George Arveladze.

 It was on April 18th when both the Free Meal Center and the Nationalists’ Gori Office closed. Some of Gegelashvili’s supporters left the party too and some moved to opposition parties. Zurab Gogiashvili, a former Nationalist, says that the Regional Governor Mikheil Kareli was interested in having Gegelashvili’s leave. “Gegelashvili was trained and prepared to take over from Kareli, therefore, Kareli opposes him”, states Zurab Gogiashvili. 

The Free Meal Center was opened on December, 2005. The Nationalists’ Central Office allotted a solid amount of money to the Gori Office for the Center. David Kekelishvili, the Deputy Head of the Nationalists’ Gori Office was in charge of the building work. The building had a dining hall which was in poor condition. When MP Davit Kirkitadze and George Arveladze visited the place they found out that there were not any facilities there (gas, electricity or heating).

The Center was closed for two weeks and this time Gegelashvili monitored the new repair work himself. According to Gegelashvili, two months of his salary was entirely spent on the repairs to the Center, which was later reopened in January 2006.  Arveladze excluded David Kekelishvili from the Nationalist Party for unethical acts but Mikheil Kareli sheltered him. Currently, with help from Kareli, he holds the position of Gori Deputy Governor. Gegelashvili’s supporters state that Kekelishvili failed to complete the work on the Center deliberately because of Kareli’s orders to compromise Gegelashvili. 

There was a real fight between the supporters of Kekelishvili and Gegelasvhili. Irritated members of the Nationalist Party accused Davit Kekelishvili of wasting the money that had been allotted for the Center. After the fight Kekelishvili had to stay in bed for several weeks. He was physically assaulted by Kakha Gamdlishvili, the leader of Young Nationalists. Gamdlishvili left the party. Kekelishvili tried to conceal the fight and told us that he remained in bed because of a terrible cold that he suffered from.

These poor relations became the main reason for the closure of the Free Meal Center. The reason why the Nationalist Movement does not now finance the Center is the fact that the Nationalists’ Gori Office is still without a new head. So far, a suitable candidate has yet to be found in Gori.

Vasiko Makharashvili does not comment on the fact. When we explained the reason why we contacted him, Makharashvili replied that he would think the issue over and call us.

Neither the Presidential Representative’s Administration nor the Gori Administration are in a hurry to reopen the Free Meal Center. Zviad Khmaladze, the Deputy Governor in Social Issues told us that he and the Presidential Representative have not discussed any plans concerning the Free Meal Center.

 George Abuladze, the Deputy of the Regional Governor comments that the Administration plans to reopen the Free Meal Center within a short period of time.

Saba Tsitsikashvili from Gori