Over-Phone Intimidation on Kareli Municipal Board Chairman

Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli

First sessions of the recently elected municipal board of Kareli district, where board members had to elect chairperson and his/her deputy, did not finish without noise. The reason of argument was phone call to the elected board chairperson.

After Ivane Ardemanishvili was elected to the position of the board chair with majority of votes, the board had to elect his deputy. Ardemanishvili offered Jumber Shubitidze’s candidature to the board members for the position. They started preparation for the polls when Ardemanishvili’s phone called. He answered the call in the session hall. Hearing his responses board members and journalists assumed that external person tried to interfere in the activities of the board. Ardemanashvili’s responses strengthened their doubts; in fact he publicly demonstrated that somebody was interfering in the activities of the board during the very first session. As a result, the chairperson gained more support from board members including the representatives of the opposition. 

Ivane Ardemanishvili’s replies to the unknown person on the phone were the following: “I made decision and nominated his candidature on the position…” “similar talks”…”Why should I pay? For what I should pay?” “this position for me does not mean anything for me!..” “I have told you my decision. Time will show whether I will be sacrificed to it or not!...”

His replies made clear that a strange person demanded the board chairperson to change the candidature for deputy chair. However, Ardevanishvili did not change decision and board members cast secret lot about Jumber Shubitidze’s candidature. Three board members refused to participate in the lot in protest; 27 members unanimously voted for Shubitidze.  

After the polls, municipal board chairperson and his deputy thanked to the board members for the support.

“Although we might be on different political platforms, I believe all of us want good for Kareli district and district population,” Ivane Ardemanishvili said in his thanksgiving statement to board members.

Jumber Shubitidze, deputy chairman: “First of all, I want to thank you for your support. I believe I took huge responsibility before myself and you. When I am offered to do something for this district or population, and if I refuse, then nobody would trust me.”

When Shubitidze was making a speech, commission chairperson left the session hall. He met Kareli district governor Zaza Guliashvili and then returned to the hall. Supposedly they spoke about phone conversation. After the meeting, Kareli district governor Zaza Guliashvili left Kareli and presumably travelled to Gori to meet Shida Kartli regional governor.

Later, Guliashvili did not confirm the information with journalists. He said he did not have information about the phone call to the municipal board chair.

Zaza Guliashvili, district governor: “I do not know how this information was spread, but I had left the district administration during break. It is my personal business, whether I travelled to the regional administration or not. You must ask the board chairman – if somebody really called him, what they told him or whether somebody oppressed him. I do not know anything at all. I had meeting with my attorneys and heads of service units; the board had separate session.”

Board chairperson did not name who had called him during the session. 

According to one version, board chairperson  had to nominate former deputy district governor Natia Gochashvili for the position of municipal board deputy chair. However, Ardemanishvili broke promise and nominated Jumber Shubitidze instead Natia Gochashvili from Free Democrats. Three board members protested his decision, and did not participate in the polls. The person, who called the board chair, demanded him to change the candidate.

It is noteworthy that board member Natia Gochashvili left the session in protest after chairperson nominated different candidate for his deputy.

After a noisy session, people started speaking about former members of UNM who joined Georgian Dream; according to their allegations board chairperson is one among them – he was one of the donators of the UNM, who on June 12, 2012 donated 25 000 lari to the UNM.