Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Before Meeting with Batumi Mayor and Afterwards

July 2, 2009

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi

Robert Chkhaidze, Batumi Mayor, meets inhabitants in the afternoon of every Tuesday. On June 30, the appointed meeting started half an hour later because the Mayor was late.

2: 30 pm

The residents turned out more punctual than the Mayor; they went through registration on the previous day and today they are waiting for their turn in patience. The people wait in a small dark hall on the ground floor of the Building of Batumi City Hall. There are seven chairs and a table in the hall and two of the chairs are broken. So the people usually have to “fight” for free chairs.

By 2 pm more than 30 people are waiting for the meeting with the Mayor. Old people are more willing to complain about their problems than young people:

“I do not think the mayor will come today; I am not so lucky. I have been here ten times but I have not met him yet. Where is justice for the old people waiting here in vain?” Tsatsa Jorjoliani is concerned.

“I wish I knew whether the mayor will come or not. If he does not listen to my problems it is no use to apply to him. They distributed the policies to us, but we cannot enjoy them. No one cares about our policy, it is fabricated document,” complained Tamro Shushanidze.

“Let us see how the mayor will resolve my problem; then I will call my son. He is living in Orphanage because I am renting a flat and can hardly live on the pension of a disabled person and social allowance. I petition to the City Hall to assign a temporary accommodation on me as I cannot pay for the rent. 70 GEL is too much for me to pay,” said Gulnaz Mamuladze, the blind old woman, who lives in loneliness.

“I have been coming here for eight months already but have not met the Mayor yet. Robert Chkhaidze is often in his working-room but his guard claims he is not. The City Hall evicts me from the flat where I have lived for 20 years. Now I wait for the decision of Varshalomidze; I have petitioned to him as well. Once I was waiting for the Mayor for such a long time that I fell in the reception-room. The Guards did not help me, afterwards the ambulance personnel came,” said Nestani, a resident of Boni Settlement. 

Why Am I Not on the List?

At last the guard of the City Hall appeared in the hall and read the list of those people who were lucky to meet the Mayor. “Every person on this list will be able to meet the Mayor. Now, I will read the names and you should step out,” the guard cried out and led five men to the second part of the hall. “Iliko Jghenti, Gvaramidze, Varshanidze…these five people will go upstairs to meet the Mayor.”

The rest look disappointed. There are 19 people on the list. Much more people are standing in the hall and everybody claims they were registered on the previous day.

“Why am I not on the list? Can you explain to me?” people cannot help their anger; there is terrible noise in the hall.

“I came here yesterday and got registered. Today I called and asked Mtvarisa (secretary) if I was on the list. She said I was on the list and how could I disappear from the list now? Let Mtvarisa come and explain to me what has happened,” said Nazi Aznaurishvili.

Mtvarisa Goguadze is responsible to create list of people who is meeting the mayor. She did not meet the people and did not explain the reason to them. The Human Rights Center got in touch with Mtvarisa Goguadze to find out the situation. “One and the same person applied to us several times. People, whose issues are under discussion, are not on the list,” she explained.

The first five people were too late to return because the Mayor temporarily stopped meeting with them as he was meeting the representative of the German Embassy. The meeting with the diplomat lasted half an hour and then the Mayor still found time for people. Tsatsa Jorjoliani did not leave the hall before the meeting time expired; she was waiting: “Maybe he will receive me because yesterday I was inserted on the list but maybe they removed me later. Apparently he did not want to discuss my problem.”  

People Come Here To Hear “NO” from the Mayor

Gulnaz Mamuladze and Nana Komakhidze requested and journalist for the Human Rights Center attended their meeting with the Mayor.

“You should send us a letter and we will reply to your question in written form as well…you have come here to listen to me,” the Mayor told Nana Komakhidze whose house is supposed to be deprived from her.

The Mayor refused to assign temporary accommodation to Gulnaz Mamuladze because the city administration does not have enough accommodations. “Previously we offered you a tutorial flat but you refused. Now we have nothing.” The citizen claims she had never been offered a tutorial flat. “The only thing they offered me is asylum. How should I go there? How shall I take my child to the asylum on the weekend when he comes home from the Urekhi Orphanage?” asked blind Gulnaz Mamuladze.

Both women left the City Hall with the same problem; nothing has changed…useless meeting and wasted time- this was the result of the meeting with the Mayor.

News