A Forced Meeting with the National Movement

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

“Social conditions have improved but we shall do much more. You have gas, the problem of drinking water is being solved, and the Healthcare Program has been implemented the most intensely in Kakheti. The streets are illuminated; many problems have  been solved and we shall solve more”- addressed Davit Bakradze, Koba Subeliani, Gigi Tsereteli, Gia Roinishvili, Nugzar Tsiklauri and Khatuna Ochiauri, the leading MP candidates of the National Movement to Kakhetian voters.

Meeting halls and auditoriums in Sagarejo, Gurjaani and Telavi were full of people. Those in the crowd included teachers, doctors and representatives of state institution, all of whom were instructed by the governor to attend the meetings.

“We have made painful mistakes. We had some obstacles but we overcame everything with the people’s help. Today we have a revamped team; it is such a team we have never seen before. There are people in this team that had never been in politics before.

“I want to tell you shortly about our achievements. I see that the social conditions of the regional population are improving day by day. There are problems that we are currently working on.  For example, the Healthcare Program was implemented most intensely in Kakheti region. Medical centers have been equipped with new apparatuses, doctors have been trained, and the trainings were successful. Patients are noticing the difference and they emphasize it. We will do more together…” Gigi Tsereteli had not finished his words when suddenly regional journalists informed the official about a terrible incident that had just occurred: Tamaz Nikolaishvili, 55 died on Tsminda Nino Street, Gurjaani because the emergency medical services were not able to arrive in time. This was because the doctors of the emergency brigade were force to attend the governmental party meeting with the other locals. Meanwhile, Tamar Zirakishvili and her young granddaughter were attending the meeting with the wish to tell Tsereteli about their extremely difficult social conditions but they were unable to do so. Tamar Zirakishvili, an elder woman was showing the death certificates of her mother, grandparents of grand granddaughter in vain. As written in the death certificates, they had all died from anemia, and she claimed the anemia was caused by starvation. Davit Bakradze who Gigi Tsereteli named as ‘the best representative of Georgia in international community’ talked to those in attendance about the protection of human rights and also said:

“Thank you for waiting for us and staying with us without expressing any displeasure despite the fact that we were very late. In other regions people would express their discontent,” mentioned Bakradze. After this he and his fellow party members presented Giorgi Ghviniashvili, the former Tbilisi Prosecutor and now the candidate for the single mandate MP in Gurjaani.
“Do you know what important job he left in order to serve Gurjaanians? Giorgi Ghviniashvili will be your protector! We will protect human rights together,” stated Giorgi Bakradze, a member of the ruling party.

There were some questions from the audience but most of them went unanswered, and those that were answered lacked concreteness. “We will change the criteria that determine which people are placed on the social assistance program. Every village will have drinking water. The municipal governor who was attending the meeting during his working hours symbolically confirmed the promise by nodding his head. The meeting lasted for about 2 hours and unlike other meeting of the National Movement, it was not accompanied by a storm of applause. During the meeting the party candidates alleged numerous times that the National Movement had the support from the people. They said that the number of people attending the meeting was proof of the sincerity of their words. Following the meeting, teachers and other representatives of state institutions could not hide their discontent. They said they were tired of being forced to attend these kinds of meetings.