Mythological Success in Historical Kolkheti

Sopo Jmukhadze

Local people smile at regional tours of the President Mikheil Saakashvili. A young man from Poti got in touch with Pressa.ge and reported that during his visit in Poti, Saakashvili opened a closed factory; and he congratulated the local residents the resolution of water-supply problem with the water coming from rubber-tube.

Poti residents tell jokes about Saakashvili’s visit to their city. However, they claim that Saakashvili’s success in Poti was as artificial as establishment of free industrial zone in the city.

Our respondent is 23-year-old Abo (he does not want to public his surname) from Poti who worked in the factory of the port which was recently opened by Mikheil Saakashvili with funfair. However, Abo has been unemployed for 7 months already. Unfortunately, Abo’s problems have not finished with that; about one month ago he was taken to hospital after being poisoned with water.

“I was feeling bad for 10 days. I had to pay 70 GEL for analysis but since I was unemployed I could not pay the bill. Finally, when I got worse, my father took me to hospital and doctors concluded I had C hepatitis. Later I found out that epidemic had broken out in the city. The illness had resulted from dirty water; water pipe had broken in one district of the city and fecal substances merged into drinking water. In order not to spread information about the incident Water Supply Company covered all medical expenses for the people who were poisoned with the water.

How could it happen after it was reported that a new water-supply system was installed in the city? Have pipes already gone wrong?

-They have installed new pipes but the water still flows in the old ones which are very spoilt and has permanent problems. When the president arrived in Poti he announced in the house of a Poti resident that the city was provided with water; however it was false.

We took a video how certain people were digging the yard of that family in order to lead water to the family by rubber tube; next day the president was invited to that family. Before he arrived, the entire yard was watered in order to erase the traces of the tractor.

Do you claim that opening ceremony of the factory was a false too?

-Of course it was. The factory that was opened by Saakashvili belongs to a Turkish Company. As soon as the investors purchased the factory, they fired everybody from there claiming many people were not necessary. Only 4-5 people work there now instead several tens of workers who worked there previously.

Almost equal situation is everywhere. If you remember the promises of the government about the establishment of free industrial zone in Poti; they stated that skyscrapers were supposed to be built in the city. However, new enterprises are not opened and even more - they close the old ones too. Nobody cares about Poti for a long time and local residents have got used to the fact already.

In order to check the information of the respondent, presa.ge got in touch with Valodia Mskhiladze, head of Poti Water-supply Company. By the way, the activities of the Company are currently monitored and investigated by Samegrelo Zemo-Svaneti regional prosecutor’s office and Financial Police. Mskhiladze stated that there is nothing surprising in this fact because the investigations are scheduled every year.

As for the story about Saakashvili’s visit in Poti, Mskhiladze stated it is false. 70 % of the local population is supplied with water for 6-7 hours a day because the repair-works are still underway. As for the poisoning of people, he claims it is false.

“The commission studied the incidents and concluded that three young fellows were poisoned in the country and they were the source of disease in Poti. The Water Supply Company has not covered their expenses at hospitals because the company had nothing to do with it. As far as I know, funds were allocated for their treatment from the local budget,” said Mskhiladze.

Source: presa.ge