There Are Questions about Past Activities of the Candidate for Lanckhuti District Governor’s Position

Nino Mshvidobadze, Guria

Davit Chkhaidze from Atsana village filed application for the vacant position of district governor at a session of the Lanckhuti municipal board. He was active supporter of the Coalition Georgian Dream in the village. Despite that, representatives of the Coalition’s local office have controversial opinions about his candidature.

Part of coalition members said Chkhaidze is their candidate but another part categorically denies it. Lanchkhuti district majoritarian MP Temur Chkhaidze said Davit Chkhaidze is not coalition candidate and he does not know who had nominated him.

“We are not standing behind Davit Chkhaidze. He might have an ambition to become district governor. However, situation will soon change when it becomes prerogative of the prime-minister to appoint regional governors,” said Temur Chkhaidze.

Maia Chkhaidze from Atsana village told scandalous story about Davit Chkhaidze. The former is head of Valodia Tsuladze Memorial Museum. In her conversation with humanrights.ge Maia Chkhaidze recalled a horrible fact which occurred in Japana village years ago. “At the last session of the municipal board I heard that Davit Chkhaidze had filed application for the district governor’s position. I know him very well. His name is associated with horrible tragedy which occurred in Japana village in 1993. Nine sleeping young boys and one unarmed wireless operator were killed. It was hardest period for Georgia when Georgian people fought each other. Two opposing camps were deployed in Japana: on the one hand it was Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s supporters and on the other hand there were boys who fought for the territorial integrity in Abkhazia and had arrived in Japana in accordance to received instruction. Both camps negotiated and agreed that none of them will open fire. At that time Davit Chkhaidze was among Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s supporters and was head of Guria regional battalion. He played key role in those negotiations. Both parties were sure that nobody would open fire. Despite that Davit Chkhaidze breached the agreement and at night, at 3:30 am they secretly entered the opposite camp and attacked sleeping boys. Three of them – Davit Lapiashvili, 17, Shotiko Tavadze, 19 and Vasiko Khabuliani, 21 were sleeping in the field and they were killed on the place.”

Maia Chkhaidze said she knows everything about this tragedy because killed boys were her brother’s friends. As for murder of unarmed wireless operator, Maia Chkhaidze said: “At my brother’s trial, one witness said Otar Uratadze had shot the wireless operator in front of him.”

“At that time Uratadze worked for police. He is father of Shmagi Uratadze, whose name is known for nongovernmental organizations. Several days after the tragedy, Zviad’s supporters got hold of authority in Lanchkhuti district. Otar Uratadze became chief police officer, and Davit Chkhaidze became Guria region commandant. During former government, prosecutor’s office and courts protracted investigation into this case. Apparently, Davit Chkhaidze had some lobbyists, besides that political situation was not relevant as well,” said Maia Chkhaidze and added that an investigator from Lanchkhuti withdraw a lawsuit filed to that-time prosecutor general Jamlet Babilashvili on that case.

We kindly remind you that coalition of nongovernmental organizations For Freedom of Choice accidentally found a memory stick of Shmagi Uratadze, Lanchkhuti district police officer during their visit in the district. He had stored personal data about Atsana village residents together with their political affiliations in the stick.

Humanrights.ge asked why Davit Chkhaidze appeared on political scene now, who supported Georgian Dream in Atsana village and why she had not spread this information about Japana accident before. Maia Chkhaidze answered: “It is my serious mistake that I kept silence before elections because I wanted as many people to vote for the coalition as possible. However, I never assumed that Chkhaidze would have an ambition to become a district governor. I am sure Roman Bitsadze (Republic Party’s leader in Lanchkhuti district, Coalition member) stands behind Chkhaidze because they are friends and relatives. However, Chkhaidze will be Bitsadze’s marionette.”

Roman Bitsadze claims that Davit Chkhaidze independently decided to apply for the district governor’s position. He added that they are not friends at all. As for a tragedy in Japana, Bitsadze said: “I cannot say anything about this accident. I can say only one thing – a trial was held in Lanchkhuti and the only person was punished for it – Bidzina Gujabidze. However, he did not participate in Japana accident and no accusations were made against him. I have no other information.”

Chairman of Lanchkhuti municipal board Revaz Chitidze said no other person has applied to them for the vacant position of district governor besides Chkhaidze. Currently, mandate-procedural commission is studying the application. Humanrights.ge interviewed Revaz Chitidze.

-Mr. Rezo, reportedly Davit Chkhaidze participated in the tragedy that occurred in Japana village years ago…

-I also heard about it but application discussion process has not reached this episode yet. Georgian legislation authorizes municipal boards to participate in the selection of district governors. As for discussion process, it depends on individual character of each board member.

Davit Chkhaidze excluded his connection with Japana accident in his interview with humanrights.ge. “I was commander of National Guardia. Participation in military operations was not within our competence. During my acting as a military commandant in Lanchkhuti I was securing public order. That was all. I know that Japana’s tragedy was investigated.”

-Where were you during the tragedy in Japana?

-We were ordered to control Guria-Abasha linking bridge and I was there.

-Does coalition support you?

-I have not talked about it with them. I individually decided to file application for the position.

Lanchkhuti municipal board will discuss Davit Chkhaidze’s candidature in near future if nobody else submits application for the position.