“He Developed Tbilisi and Can You Imagine What He Will Do in Akhaltsikhe?” – Residents of Meskheti Region Are Voting for Gigi Ugulava

 Gulo Kokhodze, Meskheti Region

Several days left before the municipal elections. The local population is indifferent about elections. “Nothing will be changed,” most part of the citizens have this position. The opposition parties are less active there.

Political Parties and Voters

Opposition parties have different representations in Meskheti region. It shows that they do not have enough human and financial resources to have strong representations in the region. For example, in Adigeni district only two opposition parties – Christian-Democrat Movement and Alliance for Georgia – participate in the municipal elections.

In Akhaltsikhe district: 1. Political union “By Ourselves,” 2. United National Movement, 3. Conservative Party of Georgia, 4. Alliance for Georgia, 5. Political Union of Citizens “Christian-Democrat Movement”, 6. Tortladze-Democrat Party participate in the elections.

In Borjomi district: 1. Political movement “Industry Will Survive Georgia,” 2. United National Movement, 3. Political union of citizens “Christian-Democrat Movement,” 4. Alliance for Georgia; 5. Tortladze – Democrat Party; 6. Movement for the Just Georgia.

However, several opposition parties managed to have their single mandate candidates in several districts.

The number of voters in election districts is the following (data of the CEC): 27 873 voters in Borjomi election district # 36; 36 439 voters in Akhaltsikhe election district # 37; 15 966 voters in Adigeni election district # 38; and 9 870 voters in Aspindza election district # 39.

Although short time is left before the elections, the opposition parties, registered in Samtskhe region, are not very active.

They complain about unequal chances during the pre-election campaign in comparison with the ruling party. However, none of them have filed any complaints about it to the regional election commission yet.

There are a lot of election posters of the United National Movement pasted in Akhaltsikhe district. In some places you can also notice the posters of the Christian-Democrat Movement whose members speak about the oppression in private conversations but do not make official statements. The election lists are still problem.

Situation before the Elections

Alongside candidates, the officials of the local government also carry out pre-election campaign in Akhaltsikhe. Officially, the local officials (Akhaltsikhe district governor) are on holiday but they dedicate their vacation time to the election campaign of the ruling party.

Nobody complains about the misuse of the administrative resources from the opposition parties; though they see the Akhaltsikhe district governor Davit Atunashvili to drive the office car during vacation.

“We will vote for Gigi Ugulava,” said the men standing in Akhaltsikhe center.

Some locals think the parliamentary elections are approaching instead municipal one and intend to elect the single mandate candidate from Akhaltsikhe district for the parliament; big part of people supports Gigi Ugulava.

“He has developed Tbilisi and can you imagine what he will do in Akhatsikhe?” asked woman from Akhaltsikhe to prove her decision in favor of Gigi Ugulava.

Most people say they are not going to take part in the elections because they think it cannot change anything.

Elza Kapanadze is resident of Akhaltsikhe. She thinks the municipal elections will not be important until the decentralization happens. “The central authority appoints even the dust-woman here. The municipal board and the district administration have lost their functions. The municipal elections make no sense,” she said.

Representatives of the Conservative and Republic Parties, who work in Akhaltsikhe, state that the election commissions are staffed by the members of the National Movement who pretend to represent various opposition parties.

“The same happened during the previous elections; it happens because of weakness of the opposition parties,” said the member of the regional election commission from Conservative Party Nino Baghdoshvili; she added that the Labor Party gave their mandates to the National Movement in the election commissions. “The regional election commission appoints the members instead them. And everybody knows whom they will select.”