“Vano Should Not Rob Us” – Rustavi Residents Protesting the Financing of Police from the Local Budget

Rustavi mayor, Mamuka Chikovani presented his project at the second meeting of the newly elected City Council, one of the articles of which considers the financial support of the police. Specifically, Chikovani asked for permission to finance the technical necessities of police from the City Budget. For this purpose, he asked to make amendments in the #258 resolution of the former City Council.

“This resolution should be amended and 22 prima article should be added with following content: the City Hall of self-governing city Rustavi should be allowed to provide matiral-technical assistance to Rustavi Police Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs till January 1 of 2011,” – states the resolution presented to City Council by Rustavi mayor which was affirmed at the same meeting of Sakrebulo.

According to Tamar Kordzaia, lawyer from Young Lawyers’ Association, the essence of local governing is to let people determine their priority and how to use their budget: “Logical question is raised, why the city hall takes responsibility of material-technical provision of police agency? Did anybody ask Rustavi Resident what’s priority for them?! Assisting police agency or arranging the internal road system or increasing aid to socially unprotected families? Obviously, the rights that the local government enjoys are really broad to be able to spend its budget this way, but aren’t you interested in how much is provided for the regional agencies by the Ministry of Internal Affairs?!”

humanrights.ge contacted the head of Kvemo Kartli Press Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. “Of course, the Ministry finances the Rustavi Police Agency, who else can do it?!” – Dodashvili was surprised. “You can still contact our director, Zura Gvenetadze. Whatever he tells you, it’s our response,” – she redirected us to the head of press center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And Zura Gvenetadze, as usual, won’t answer our calls after finding out the topic of conversation.

Rustavi City Council deputy director Kakha Baratashvili can’t recall Chikovani’s project presented on this matter: “I really don’t remember project of city mayor which talked about any kind of financing of police from the budget. I’m ready to search it with you and look through it,” – says Baratashvili.

The budget of Rustavi is about 27 million lari. Majority of population, like other regions of Georgia, is unemployed and socially unprotected. Often the citizens ask Tbilisi City Hall for one-time assistance for medications, cleaning of basements from the water, roofing of buildings and other problems.

“What kind of assistance does police need from the city?! So what they are serving us?! They have enough resources for it from the local budget. Look how many cars they have, and the salaries of their officials. I’m not against the police development, but that little money in the local budget belongs to Rustavi residents and Vano should not rob us,” – says Rustavi resident Dali Babunishvili.

It seems like the financing of police from the local government budget is not the idea of Rustavi leadership. “It seems like this decision is originated from the central and not the local level,” – states the representative of Young Lawyers Association Tamar Kordzaia. Her opinion is backed by the fact that the responsibility of police financing is imposed on Guria government as well that was reported in the article “Police Is Sucking the Blood of Local Government” not too long ago. (see the link http://www.humanrights.ge/index.php?a=article&id=5324&lang=ge).