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Mass Technical Examination of Mini-Buses Suspiciously Coincided with the Visit of Opposition Parties

March 29, 2010

Shorena Ghlonti, Guria

In order to fail the events scheduled by the National Council in Ozurgeti district the mini-buses were ordered to take technical examinations.

On March 24, mini-buses did not run to the villages of Ozurgeti district because of technical examination. The leaders of the National Council connect the fact with their visit in the district; three of their supporters could not travel by mini-bus.

“It is noteworthy that both in Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti districts, local authority did their best to fail the events scheduled by the National Council. The representatives of the National Movement (ruling party) and law enforcement bodies forced drivers of the mini-buses not to take people to the opposition meeting. They ordered them to take their cars to the technical examination. In Chokhatauri district, the participants of the demonstration were watched,” said the head of the Ozurgeti district office of the Movement of the Just Georgia Lela Natsvaladze.

According to her, head of Guria regional police department Shota Channukvadze called the director of auto-transport enterprise and requested him not to send any buses to the villages. Among them, they blocked public transport though they did not have right.

It is noteworthy, that the opposition parties had signed agreements with the drivers in advance.

Natsvaladze took three drivers to the Guria regional governor. The drivers told Chitaishvili to give them guarantee that they would not face any problems if they served the opposition parties. The governor told them he could give guarantees, but they could face some problems if some faults would be found on their documents in future.

There were drivers who did not obey the threats but many of them refused to serve the opposition party.

Guria regional governor Valeri Chitaishvili confirms that Lela Natsvaladze really met him together with drivers.

“They were drivers of private mini-buses. I asked them to name the people who oppressed them, but they could not,” said Chitaishvili.

He added that he cannot guarantee anybody not to be punished if he drives a car drunk or breaches the traffic rules.

In his interview with the Human Rights Center, head of the Ozurgeti district auto-transport enterprise Shako Oragvelidze said on March 24, 50 mini-buses running to the villages of the district were technically examined.

Dispatcher of Ozurgeti auto-station Nukri Abashmadze confirmed that on March 24, mini-buses were not running to the villages.

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