Vardzelashvili Preferred Regional Governor than Majority MP

The on-going fight for a seat in the Georgian parliament will supposedly start at the beginning of April in Shida Kartli Region when the pre-election campaign will be officially announced. According to the Human Rights Center the National Movement, leading party, has slated its candidates in all four districts in the region. Some personnel changes were made in New Rights; the new movement “Georgian Politics” managed to open the regional office earlier than the HQ was opened in Tbilisi. However, parties do not announce their candidate, which means in short that they have not made the final decision.

Lado Vardzelasvhili, the favorite of the National Movement cannot consider membership in the Georgian parliament. It is already settled that the president needs him in Shida Kartli in order to sort out problems of water supply and roads for the district’s populace, who have grown accustomed to being deceived by local authorities. Vardzelashvili’s seat in the parliament through a majority system was discussed during the presidential elections on January 5. However, neither his friends nor the members of the leading party denied that if the leader of the “Patriots” (Governmental Program for Georgian Youth) succeeded in the presidential elections in Gori that he would be actually guaranteed a seat in the parliament.

However, the elections of January 5 revealed that just less than one in four in Gori, which adds up to 11,000 out of 60, 000 inhabitants had voted for opposition parties. And this low vote for those not in the government’s camp came after the demonstrations that were held in September-October in 2007, and which were organized by the united opposition. For the most part people did not participate in the protests. Tina Khidasheli, former leader of the united opposition, told us at the time that the people were afraid and could not take the chance of attending their meetings. However, after the famous events of November 7 and the violent crackdown on public protest, there was a windfall and opposition parties gained a considerable number of votes in their ranks.

The Human Rights Center carried out short straw polls in Gori and it revealed that the majority of the population was rather irritated with the politics of the new seated local government. Since the local authority was completely changed on September 12 2007, local officials started their activities by erecting fountains and installing clocks in the city. Residents of Gori do respect Stalin, in spite of the fact that was born in Gori, and his statue remains in the town center. However, the new government fixed the “Big Ben” just in front of the town’s most favorite state. This really pissed off the locals and petitions were sent to the local government but the officials still refused them to change anything. Nonetheless, the disappointed populace then applied to non-governmental organizations and journalists, as well as to the Human Rights Center to address their concerns.

All in all, in September of 2007 the elements of trust among local population to the National Movement disappeared within two months and Lado Vardzleashvili, that time head of the Shida Kartli Election HQ, won the elections with 65 % instead of the anticipated 95 %.

As for other parties, the personnel changes took place in the office of New Rights. Mamuka Faniashvili resigned from his position as the chairperson of the regional office of the party. He had faithfully served the party for many years. Twenty-five-year-old Faniashvili was the leader of the Gori branch of the New Rights since 2003.

It is difficult to say what the real reason for Mamuka Faniashvili resigning. And nobody speaks about it openly. Member of the party state that Faniashvili has contributed much in his efforts for the reinforcement of the Gori branch of the New Rights Party. As for the candidate for the parliamentary elections, supposedly it will be Giorgi Mosidze, whose father, Shalva Mosidze, has been the director of the Women’s Chamber Group for many years.

Gocha Fifia the leader of the new party, “Georgian Politics”, appointed Shalva Tlashadze, who is the former leader of the Republic Party’s Gori organization, as the new head of his branch in Shida Kartli. However, Shalva Tlashadze has not confirmed whether he will be a majority candidate of the “Georgian Politics” from Gori or not.

As for now the situation in the National Council of the United Opposition is uncertain.  One part claims that Teo Tlashadze will be the candidate for the parliamentary elections but other insists that she will be replaced by Levan Terashvili. Both of them are from Irakli Okruashvili’s team, (former defense minister); Levan Terashvili was Okruashvili’s deputy while Levan was the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Jemal Tsiklauri, former director of the Gori Agriculture Market, was appointed as the leader of the Gori branch of the Conservative Party. Mikheil Kareli, former regional governor, seized market from Tsiklauri back in November of 2007 and this was accomplished with the Ministry of Economic Development, Giorgi Arveleadze the minister, who in turn selling the market that had been assigned the state. The Public Defender held a briefing in November of 2007 about the issue where it was supposed that Tsiklauri might appeal to the Strasbourg Court to state his case.

As for the leading party, as far as the Human Rights Center is informed, they have selected Giga Tatishvili, the head of the Shida Kartli Organization of the National Movement to be the candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Human Rights Center interviewed Vardzelashvili about the topic and he that Badri Nanetashvili might be assigned the position as the director of the regional TV Station “Trialeti” and he was on the list of candidates. However, it is also reported that Nanetashvili has demanded the appointment on his own.

-Mr. Vardzelashvili, when did you refuse to be an MP to be specific has been like negotiations going on?

-Nearly a week ago.

-They discussed that the regional governor’s position should have served you like a small ski-jump in order to justify your promotion as the favored candidate for parliamentary elections from Gori?

-To tell the truth I can see some logic in your statement and it appears that you incorrect. I have already put myself in the public eye in a positive way during presidential elections. Those elections were more important than are up-coming parliamentary elections. Since I am already in government the offer was based on being part of the team.  Everybody appreciated my decision to participate in the schedule elections.

In fact I have refused guaranteed five-year-long term of employment where nobody could harm me. This is the job with additional privileges. Nobody can predict what will happen in a year and I can lose everything while I work as a governor here. Anyway, today I prefer to stay here; to keep my promises to the people and resolve all urgent problems. I could not resolve so many problems this summer before elections. It takes a while. I will engage in many activities and I will be successful.

-Who will be candidates for the parliamentary elections?

-Almost every district governments have already selected it slate of final candidates. However, we would prefer not to announce their names at this time.

-They speak about Guja Beruashvili (Director of the Gori Gas Distributing Company) as a candidate from Gori, Badri Nanetashvili from Kareli, and MP Kakha Sukhishvili from Kaspi. Are these people really supposed to be majority candidates?

-None of them.

-Neither they are inserted on the list of candidates?

-We have not discussed Guja Beruashvili whatsoever. How they have imagined it? I need this person in other responsibilities.

-Badri Nanetashvili?

-I cannot exclude the possibility that he might be on the list.

-Who has initiated to insert him on the list? Was he ask himself or is there another mechanism?

-Yes it was he who first offered his name to be inserted on the list.

-You accepted his offer I will ask you why did the leading party expel him from the parliament afterwards?

-Yes, it would be better if you ask me the question as if he is on the list or not.