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Participants Protest Results of the Competition in the Kutaisi Local Self-Government

January 16, 2015
 
Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi 

Last week, competition commission of the Kutaisi local self-government published results of the competition, which took start on October 20, 2014. According to the final results, 157 applicants won the competition for the vacant positions in the City Hall and City Council. As for 39 more working places, the competition results were annulled. Competition commission and the local government in general are satisfied with the process, but participants protest the results.

The applicants are discontent not only about the results but about the procedure and unserious approach of the commission and representatives of local authority to them. 

“I passed first and second stages of the competition for 4 vacant positions. I collected 47 points in tests and if the interview stage was conducted in an impartial manner, I hoped I could be employed at one of the four vacant positions. The interviews finished on December 25. The results on the four positions announced on January 6 but I, as a contestant, have not received the reply yet,” said one of the applicants, journalist Lela Khidasheli.

In accordance to the Law of Georgia on Public Service, competition participant shall be notified about the competition results (even negative results) within 5 days after the results are officially announced. In Lela Khidasheli’s case, as well as in the case of other contestants, this term was breached.

“It is unserious approach of the commission to applications that blatantly violates the law. I did not receive their official response based on which I could continue struggle and protest the results. I appealed to the appeal commission after I could not find myself on the list of the new employees of the city hall. As far as I know, the deadline for appealing the results was January 12 and if I had waited for the response, I would have missed the deadline. So, I have a doubt, they did not send negative decision to me on purpose to deprive me from the possibility to protect my rights,” Lela Khidasheli said.

Representatives of the competition commission of the Kutaisi local self-government, as well as members of the appeal commission, claim the competition and follow up procedures were conducted without any violations, transparently and openly. However, the facts show the different – only winner applicants were notified about the competition results.

“Naturally, I did not wait for the official reply and on January 9 I appealed to the appeal commission. An employee of the city hall, who accepted my complaint, said that I would receive written reply on my complaint within two days. In fact, on January 12, at 18:20 pm an employee of the city council, who is assistant of the appeal commission chairman Beka Kancheli, called me on the phone and said the discussion of my complaint was about to start at 21:00 pm that evening and unless I attended it, they would never discuss it. I think they breached my rights in this particular situation too. I think they hoped I would not be able to arrive at the city council in the short time and would have lost chance of self-defense automatically,” Khidasheli said.

Reportedly, other contestants also had similar problems. Ipolite Ambroladze, who is an active member of the Kutaisi office of the Republic Party, had applied for several vacant positions. He collected the highest 52 points in the tests.

“I preliminarily knew the possible results of this competition because city council chairman Davit Dvali declared: I would not hire candidates of Nato Katamadze, member of the Kutaisi city council and of the chairman of Imereti office of the Republic party. The competition failed for two vacant positions, which I had applied; in the third position they hired an applicant who collected only 44 points while I had 52 points. Unfortunately, the government preferred to hire a candidate, who fought for the United National Movements. But we again got disappointed after seven-year struggle,” said Ipolite Ambroladze.

The same situation is in the case of Marina Khutsishvili. There were two contestants for the vacant position she had applied for after the second stage. Finally, the commission selected the candidate who had not collected even minimal amount of the points.

Part of opposition members of the Kutaisi City Council and nongovernmental organizations also protest the competition results.

Head of the Center for the Protection of Public Interests Sulkhan Kobuladze clarified: “The competition was conducted in the local self-government to deceive people. In fact, they hired relatives and friends of the Kutaisi City Mayor Shota Murgulia and other governmental officials in the different services of the city council and city hall.”

Gia Gokadze, head of the nongovernmental organization Europe – Our Home said the competition in the Kutaisi local self-government was “bluff.” “Test results do not matter at all. Of course, nobody cared about them. The desire of the city mayor and chairman of the city council to meet interests of their relatives was the most important. Indeed, they hired their relatives on the vacant positions. Moreover, the commission was chaired by the chairman of the city council and it was an easy job for him.”

Member of the city council from the Republic Party Nato Katamadze officially requested the results of the first stage of the competition – tests from the competition. She told humanrights.ge that she has not received the requested public information yet and cannot make any critical evaluations at the moment. However, Nato Katamadze added that some people, who gained low points and even worse, people who did not participate in the competition at all, were employed in the local self-government after the competition. 

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