New Message of the National Movement – “King Is Generous”

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

President’s visit in Kutaisi caused serious resonance in the city on the same day. The water-drops leaking through the roof of Sarkisashvili’s family fell on Saakashvili’s head. .Nugsar Shamugia, the city mayor was strictly reprimanded in front of TV cameras.
 
The story had very simple start. Maia Sarkisashvili handed a letter to the first lady of Georgia Sandra Rulovs several days ago in Kutaisi. She wrote about the problems of her family for the third time. At last, the president received her letter and Saakashvili visited the family of Sarkisashvilis.

The president of Georgia saw nothing new and strange in the family. There are hundreds of socially disabled large families in Kutaisi. The opposition parties blame the city hall in inattentiveness to these families.

“The housewife of the family also said that she had applied to the city hall about her problems and had sent two letters to the president. At last, the president paid attention. There are many families in Kutaisi which cannot get allowance for socially disabled people, because of unclear reasons and they have many other problems. Simply, this was one more occasion when the president took advantage of using this fact for his PR campaign”, said Vladimer Nakashidze, the chairman of Imereti regional organization of Republican Party.

He recalled families living in the suburbs of Kutaisi close to the former military lyceum who have similar problems: ”We appealed to the district and regional administrations several times and requested to improve living conditions for these families. The city mayor justified himself by claiming the city hall could not register those families and energy distribution company refuses to supply them with electricity. The families are not registered because the houses they live in are not their properties. Sarkisashvilis’ problems could have been resolved without PR Campaign. But, apparently it is more important for them now, because the elections of local self-government are approaching. They want to demonstrate to the people that the King is Generous and if something is wrong it is not his fault.”

Opposition Parties think the reprimanding by the president is directly connected with the elections of local self-government. Saakashvili and his group want to show that they worry about people. The president visited the family of Sarkisashvilis with stove and stove-pipes. Then he instructed the rebuked city Mayor to supply the family with firewood.

Everyone knew about the visit of president except city mayor. The president, on his way to the saw-mill, turned away and visited the family of Sarkisashvilis together with local officials. Before that, Nugzar Shamugia got a warning because of pollution in the suburbs of the city.

“This fact demonstrates inner-party controversy. There are three clans:1) clan of Imereti regional governor Mikheil Chogovadze and the mayor goes into this clan; 2) clan of MP Gocha Tevdoradze, the head of the Imereti regional organization of the National Movement and 3) clan of Akaki Bobikhidze, single mandate MP of Kutaisi. Now Tevdoradze’s clan works to get hold of the positions of regional governor and mayor. This is the person who was responsible for several elections in the region which were won by the National Movement. Now, when the elections are approaching, the fight becomes stronger and clans do not step back. People will see everything on TV”, said Vladimer Nakashidze.

Sarkisashvili’s family with 12 members will have one more member soon. The Human Rights Centre will inform readers if they will use the stove in winter.