Governmental and Law Enforcement Bodies Have Started Working On An Emergency Rule

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

In order to prevent people from joining the protest demonstrations planned for April 9 in Tbilisi, local self-governments and law enforcement bodies in the districts of Kakheti region have started working on emergency rule. At the demonstrations the people will demand the resignation of the President of Georgia and to establish the date of snap presidential elections. District governors, chairpersons of the municipality boards and heads of police departments demanded that the leaders of public agencies prevent their employees and their family members from going to the demonstration. Since Monday groups of policemen are moving in the villages and threatening the families who are considered supporters of opposition parties with the detention of their children or relatives.

Warning for School Directors and Managers of Nursery Schools

In the Kakheti region district governors categorically warned school directors and managers of nursery schools against joining the protest demonstration on April 9 in Tbilisi--not a single teacher should join the demonstration. District governors met school directors and managers of nursery schools this week.

“The district governor directly told us that unless we prevent teachers from joining the demonstrations we will have to resign,” said the director of one of public schools who preferred to stay anonymous for readers.

The Gurjaani district administration confirmed that the district governor and chairperson of the municipality board met the directors of public schools and nursery schools two days ago, though they categorically deny any use of oppression. Giorgi Chiviashvili, the Gurjaani district governor, claims that he spoke with school directors and managers of nursery schools about problems only and had never oppressed them.

Car Registration Certificates Were Seized from Drivers

Non-parliamentary opposition parties reported to us that car registration certificates were seized from drivers of mini-buses working in the Kakheti region. The opposition parties claim that directors of transport enterprises and policemen seized documents from drivers in accordance to the order of district authorities. Several drivers confirmed the information in private talks with us.

According to the law if a patrol policeman stops a driver and the latter cannot produce the car registration certificate the patrol police is entitled to ban him from driving a car.

Giorgi Sibashvili, deputy governor of the Kakheti region, categorically denies that they have seized certificates from the drivers of mini-buses. He stated that representatives of opposition parties have spread similar false information on purpose.

“The Opposition spreads this information because they cannot collect enough people for the protest demonstration on April 9 in the Kakheti region as they were ordered. By making similar statements the heads of local HQs of opposition parties use this reason to justify themselves for having failed to collect more people,” said Sibashvili.

“If You Join Demonstration We Will Arrest Your Son”

Groups of policemen are moving about in the villages in the districts of the Kakheti region. According to local residents law enforcers threaten the families who are considered to be supporters of opposition parties with the detention of their sons if they join the demonstration.

“Several policemen were specially sent to our village from the police department. They visited me at home late last night. They stated I was on the list of supporters of opposition parties and warned me they would arrest my son if I join the protest demonstration. They know that my son is in the 11th form at Public School and has never done anything illegal but despite that fact the policemen threatened me with his detention,” said a resident of the village of Velistsikhe in the Gurjaani district. “I do not belong to any political party. I have land and keep my family with my hard work. Several days ago I was in Gurjaani to buy chemicals to use as a poison in my fruit-garden. When I was walking along the street I saw opposition leaders Irakli Alasania, Davit Usupashvili and others in Gurjaani. People were gathered to listen to them and I stopped too. I was curious as to what they were speaking about. I stayed there for a short time and left soon. Evidently, somebody noticed me there,” said the respondent.

It is noteworthy to mention that representatives of the press-centers of the district administrations video-record all visits of opposition leaders in the Kakheti region. Camera-men particularly focus on the people who attend a meeting. Besides that, officials from the Constitutional Security Department, dressed in civilian clothes, control the meetings of opposition leaders with people.