Government Special Forces Suppress Protests

Government Special Forces Suppress Protests

The Government is using the same old methods to silence a discontent population, stopping protesters that demand electricity by the deployment of special forces. The current government seems to have forgotten that in the past, when its own members were a part of the opposition, they were against the stifling of protest actions, and had sharply criticized the old government for doing so.

On 19 May in Kutaisi, residents of the Gumathesi settlement held a protest meeting in which they were demanding electricity. As a sign of protest, demonstrators closed the main thoroughfare and threatened to continue their protest activities permanently if electricity is not provided to them.

According to Gumathesi residents, they have not had electricity for more than two days, and as a result of this they also have no water and are generally in a very hard situation. They are demanding that individual electricity meters be installed.

Activities organized by the protesters were forcibly disbursed by special forces and traffic resumed, although the road was once again closed as the special forces left.

According to Avto Dvalishvili, Head of the PR Department of the United Energy Distribution Company, the transformer that provides energy to the population was switched off by the company due to outstanding debts, and until this debt is fully covered the company cannot meet the demands of the protesters and turn on the transformer.

By its actions, the government that came to power with mottoes about building democracy has ignored the constitutional rights of citizens to freely express their protest in peaceful ways, including conducting demonstrations. Instead, the government tries to solve regional problems by forceful means, which considerably deteriorates the relations between the population and local authorities and eliminates the remaining hopes that the rural population has of better future.  As we have already seen in the past, ignoring society’s interests can be a disastrous policy for the government to operate from.

prepared by Nino Bestavashvili based on the

"MediaNews" information.