Gulo Kokhodze, Akhaltsikhe
Voters from Akhaltsikhe look at the parliamentary elections pessimistically. Most of them do not know the candidates who are taking part in the polls.
There are five majoritarian candidates in Akhaltsikhe District: Tamar Gogoladze from Republic Party of Georgia, Nikoloz Tsotskolauri from “Georgian Labor Party-Shalva Natelashvili”, Tamaz Petriashvili from United National Movement, Winning Georgia, Nikoloz Inasaridze from Radical-Democrat National Party for Entire Georgia, and Valiko Baliashvili from the United Opposition.
Only two out of interviewed twenty voters knew all five candidates. Twelve of them have information only about the candidate from the United National Movement; others do not know any of candidates at all.
Most students do not know who majoritarian candidate is in their district. “I do not care about politics and I am not going to vote,” said twenty-one-year-old Vazhiko Chaduneli.
Neko Beridze, a student, “Government does everything for its own selfish interests. They are claiming one thing but doing just the other. They have made me hate politics and forget about the existence of freedom of expression. People’s interests are not considered during the elections and why should I know who is candidate?”
However, there are some exceptions and they know candidate from only the United National Movement.
“I know that Tazo Petriashvili represents the leading party, I do not know who the others are,” said student Lasha Benidze.
Teacher Iza Samsonidze knows the candidate from the leading party only and she explains it because of activity of the local TV Company. “Local TV Company draws much attention to the election campaign of the candidates from the ruling party in Akhaltsikhe and it likely happens the same way in other regions too.”
Gogi Ivanidze, a resident of Akhaltiskhe, knows only one candidate and does not care about others. “Tamaz Petriashvili is cool guy. They could not name better than he is.”
Iza Samsonadze is curious how the candidates intend to keep their promises and underlines personal characters of these people “We have many examples when promises were not kept. In addition to that, the candidate should bear many other features too, like who are their parents, personal characters, and coming from a stable family. His or her past life should make people trust him.”
Grigor Minasiani, a resident of Akhaltsikhe, thinks that “It will be good if the candidates were frank and direct in their statements.”
Nurse Lia Kamladze and Otar Lobzhanidze retired, said “We have bitter experience thus recommendations will be premature.”
Zina Kuchadze, a resident of the village of Agara, is eager to see that elections were fair and independent, which is something that she thinks as being impossible in Georgia.
Neither Tsira Chapidze, an unemployed person thinks in different way. “They did not even change Tarkhnishvili, the chairperson of the Central Election Commission. Ambitious government will not allow independent and fair elections to be held.”
On May 22 everybody will know whether pre-election predictions of Akhaltsikhe district population and whether their hopes come true or not.