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”We Were Warned from City Council To Go Out In the Street During President’s Visit and Shout “Misha, Misha”

January 31, 2012

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

Head of Adjara government and President of Georgia announced 2012 will be the year of Kobuleti Development. But Kobuleti residents state the president threatened them – you will dream about tourists.

A citizen, who avoided mentioning his name due to possible problems, got in touch with the Human Rights Center. He lives in Agmashenebeli Street in Kobuleti. In his conversation with the Center, he recalled President’s visit in Kobuleti on December 19, 2011 when he opened a bike-path too. “We were warned from the City Council to go out in the street during President’s visit and shout “Misha, Misha”. None of my family members went outside. Neither our neighbors greeted him. Then I heard due to small number of welcoming people, the president got angry and promised: Kobuleti residents will have to dream about tourists. Last year tourist season failed; we face serious problems due to bank loans. The President of Georgia does not care about us, so nobody must ask us to support him.”

Several other residents of Kobuleti confirmed the information. “Now you will face problems because you did not go out in the street. Employees of the City Council told us tourists will not arrive in Kobuleti. We cannot pay the debts which we took to create good conditions for tourists. The president does not assist us and why should we applaud him. Let them have spent those millions on people.”

The President of Georgia opened six-kilometer bike-path in December of 2011. Head of Adjara Government Levan Varshalomidze and Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Ramaz Nikolaishvili cycled together with the president alongside the new path.

Head of Economy, Infrastructure Development Service at the Kobuleti City Council Davit Bolkvadze said almost 6 million GEL was spent on the bike-path. “The program was funded with 5 798 765 GEL; Black Sea Group was implementing the construction activities. The local budget allocated only 1 159 773 GEL. We have already finished 5-kilometer path and the rest part of the path will be constructed within four months and 1 788 540 GEL will be spent on it.”

Bolkvadze said he personally attended the opening ceremony but he did not cycle together with the president. Bolkvadze said the local residents greeted the president without any oppression and nobody compelled them to go out in the street.

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