“We Do Not Need Self-Proclaimed District Governor!” Samtredia Residents State

Mari Tabidze, Samtredia

“We do not need self-proclaimed district governor!” On October 30-31 Samtredia residents protested Avtandil Sturua’s appointment to the position of district governor with this slogan. After October 1 parliamentary elections, Samtredia municipal board elected Avto Sturua for the position of the district governor who was the district majority MP in the previous convocation parliament.

The discontent population held a protest assembly in front of the new district governor’s working office. Among the protesters were supporters of the Georgian Dream party. Security service officers of the Samtredia district administration could not calm protesters down. About hundred people were waiting for Sturua at his office. However, he did not appear at the office during two days.

A specialist of the Culture Service discovered the key to the district governor’s office and protesters demanded her to open the room on October 31. The room was empty.

Secretary of Samtredia district governor Tsira Dvalishvili said: “At 11:00 am Mr. Avto held a meeting but he left office at about 12:00 pm and did not tell me where he was going and when he intended to return to the office.”

The protesters blamed employees of Samtredia district administration for faking the election results. “They are the people who were threatening others during the entire pre-election period. It is shame that they are citizens of Georgia; they must be in Gldani prison,” a protester, Dato Khonelidze said.

Participants of the assembly blamed chief specialist of the district administration, Aleksandre Abzianidze, for intimidating the population. They said Abzianidze was threatening to put them in Gldani prison unless they voted for the National Movement in the elections.

“I have not oppressed any resident of Samtredia and I deny every accusation against me,” Aleksandre Abzianidze said.

The population alleges that chairman of Samtredia municipal board, Aleksandre Jvarsheishvili, held a session through blatant violation of the law because they elected Avto Sturua.

“We want a meeting with Sturua to ask whether he is not ashamed to sit in the district governor’s office. These people do not ask our opinion, the peoples,” Tsira Tavadze said.

On October 31, protesters put up a poster on the door of the district governor’s office: “We do not need a self-proclaimed district governor!” Avto Sturua did not appear in the office at that time either.

After a two-day assembly, on October 31, in the afternoon, the new governor met members of the municipal board and protesters. The local residents gathered in his working room , “You do your best to occupy the position but you do not have right to take part in the local governance because you were insulting and sacking people from jobs”, they accused.

The governor listened calmly to people’s accusations and did not reply to them. At the end of the meeting Sturua said: “If I have breached the law, you can appeal to the court.”

Sergo Kiguradze, who was arrested before elections, also participated in the assembly. He accused Avto Sturua for blackmailing people and named him as one of his harassers. “I will be the first who will make testimony against Suturua to law enforcement agencies,” he said.

After the meeting, Avto Sturua left the district administration’s building. Protesters saw him to his car, shouting.

Representatives of the Georgian Dream Coalition’s Samtredia office said they will appeal to the prosecutor’s office against Sturua and law enforcement institutions will pass adequate judgments on the violations he has made.

Photo: Avto Sturua