Deputies of the Kaspi Municipal Board Speak about Abuse of Power by Shida Kartli Regional Governor

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

Session of the Kaspi municipal board was failed on February 23 for the second time. Part of the board deputies say the reason is interference in the work of the municipal board by the regional governor and violation of the regulation rules. The board members from the opposition political parties said that on February 23 the preliminary bureau meeting for the board session had not held and the agenda of the board session was not agreed. Independent board member Vakhtang Bezhistashvili said the Shida Kartli regional governor’s administration drafts the agendas for the sessions. He named February 19 session, where 9 questions were discussed at the bureau session but only 5 of them were on the agenda of the board session. Who amended the agenda? Interim chairman of the municipal board Ilia Zakariadze told the board members that the Shida Kartli regional governor’s administration had amended the agenda.

Part of board members protested interference in their work by the regional governor and his administration and the board session was cancelled.

“It is disrespect not only to us but to our electorate, when the issues agreed on the bureau meeting are amended by the regional governor’s administration. Neither the regional governor nor his administration has right to interfere in the work of the municipal board,” independent board member Vakhtang Bezhitashvili said.

Only representative of the press unit of the Shida Kartli regional administration Giorgi Edisherashvili responded to the accusations against the regional governor and his administration. Edisherashvili said the governor and his administration just gave legal recommendations to the municipal board.

“The Code on Self-Governance was breached, because the regional governor does not have right to interfere in the activities of the local self-government,” head of the Gori office of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association Keti Bebiashvili evaluated the fact. She said the regional governor and his administration rudely interfered in the work of local self-government.

Members of the Kaspi municipal board from opposition parties call on the relevant institutions to study the alleged abuse of power by the regional governor.

”Kaspi municipal board members said they sent the agenda of the board session to the regional governor and then based on his recommendations the agenda was amended. It is abuse of power by the regional governor. Consequently, it is direct and rude interference in the work of the local self-government. There is legal grounds that the investigative bodies started probe into the alleged abuse of power,” board member Robert Kavtiashvili said.

Representatives of the opposition parties said on February 22, on the previous day of the scheduled board session, municipal board members from the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia met Shida Kartli regional governor to receive instructions from him. The press center of the regional governor states they do not have information about this meeting.