The Rights of People Running for the Office of Governor Were Violated in Shida Kartli

The rights of women were violated in the Kaspi Municipality. The Bureau of the Municipality did not even consider the candidacy of Zhuzhuna Tsereteli and Nino Mdzinarashvili for the vacant post of governor, their right to stand for public office has been denied from the beginning on grounds they were not from Kaspi and did not know the Kaspi region. Though, the next day Kakha Khachirashvili was elected as governor, he is neither a resident of Kaspi nor has any official ties to the Kaspi region.

The chief of Kaspi Municipality Bureau, Givi Meladze, claimed during the conversation with the “Human Rights Centre” that he represented the position of the entire municipality and the members of his bureau: “Neither Jujuna Tsereteli, nor Nino Mdzinarashvili had anything in common with Kaspi and its municipality. That is why we decided not to recommend them for the vacant post of governor”- says Givi Meladze.

The chief of the bureau, Givi Meladze, “knows” the present governor as a resident of Kaspi, but as the governor Kakha Khachirashvili says himself, he only has a mother who is from Kaspi and has nothing in common with Kaspi.

The chief of municipality, Vakhtang Khutsishvili, said the same on the municipality’s meeting, but he did not say anything about this during the interview.

“The applications of these two women were not considered because they had no experience in working for self-governing bodies.” – said the chief of the municipality, Vakhtang Khutsishvili.

Acting governor Kakha Khachirashvili is not an inhabitant of Kaspi. On the day of his election the delegate of Gomi, elected by majority vote, Nugzar Petviashvili, protested that they could not find a person in Kaspi who could be elected as governor. The municipality delegates from the National Party made a row; Petviashvili was very confused and could not say anything. The meeting ended before Khachirashvili showed up himself. He said to let everyone know that his mother is from Kaspi.

Khachirashvili was the deputy of the gubernator of Guria, Aleko Tsintsadze, until 2007. After Tsintsadze was fired and transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture Khachirashvili transferred there with him. If Tsintsadze had stayed in Guria Khachirashvili would most likely have become the governor of Ozurgeti – Guria’s journalists told the “Human Rights Centre”.

Now Jujuna Tsereteli is the director of an NGO. In 2004-2005 she was the head of the ambulance centre in Gori. Then she was publicly dismissed. Zhuzhuna Tsereteli was saying that her main enemy was Mikheil Kareli, the gubernator at that time; it was in his interest to dismiss her from the ambulance centre.

“To say that I have do not have experience in working for self-governing bodies and that I do not have any knowledge of management is absurd. I have many certificates and letters thanking me for my activities. Our candidacy was denied without any explanation and a well-grounded motivation.” – says Jujuna Tsereteli.

Nino Mdzinarashvili has been working for the “Mercy Corps” organization for a few years. The government of Gori cooperated with this organization on some projects in the village. These projects were about the improvement of the quality of water and the renovation of educational buildings. But the municipality of Kaspi did not consider to be relevant working experience.

The same problem appeared in Gori on the next day. Here, the Bureau of the Municipality presented only one candidate, Ramaz Chochishvili, who was elected as governor.

Shalva Tlashadze from the “Republican party” is interested whether Ramaz Chochishvili has any experience of working in the self-governing bodies. The résumé of Ramaz Chochishvili was read during the meeting on the request of the chief of the municipality. It turned out that Ramaz Chochishvili was heading the Department of Sports and Culture which cooperated with the self-governing bodies.

The chief of Chamber of Control (financial and management field) in Shida Kartli and Mtskheta, Zaza Edisherashvili, also wanted to become the governor of Gori. But he withdrew his candidacy at the last moment. Zaza Edisherashvili while working for the Chamber of Control decided on the financial revision of the Gori government in 2006. This decision mentions many instances of misappropriation of funds.

Kaspian Khatuna Tatanashvili, from the “Republican party”, boycotted the municipality’s meeting and did not take part in it. “This man was transferred to different positions for 4 months and now they have finally found him a place.” – said Tatanashvili about Kakha Khachirashvili. The republican deputy of the Gori’s municipality, Davit Razmadze, refused to vote and make any comments.

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori