Most of Villages in Adjara Do Not Have Governor’s Representatives

Most of the villages in Adjara Region do not have representative of district governor or any public official, who can study the problems of the local people and introduce it to the district Administrative Board. Besides that representative of the district governor must issue some official notifications to local people when necessary. Five months have passed since the last local elections; however public officials have not been appointed in the villages of Khulo, Kedi, Khelvachauri and Kobuleti districts. The peasants complain about the situation because they have to travel to the district centre to get some official notifications.

Seventy-six-year-old Khemzi Davaladze demands to appoint governor’s representatives on time. “There is no official person in the village to apply to. Besides that we need money to travel to the district centre to get some applications,’ said Davaladze.

The district governors explain the delay by structural reorganization. The village administrations were replaced with municipalities. A municipal institution was established and a new place of the governor’s representative was created. “Reorganization has already finished. We will discuss the candidates for the governor’s representatives together with the administrative board. The problem will soon be resolved,” said Roin Malakmadze, the chairman of the Khelvachauri District Administrative Board.

The reasons for suspending the time are obscure for Zurab Mikeladze, the head of the Adjara Supreme Council’s Agricultural Committee. He thinks that the problem is artificially prolonged at the administration. The governor’s representative to the village should introduce the district administration with the problems of the particular village and vice versa. That person should introduce the villagers with any kind innovations.

“It is strange why the process is delayed. The law allows the district governor to elect his representative and appoint him to the position. I do not think it is difficult to find at least one honest and suitable person in each village,” said Mikeladze.

Tengiz Zoidze, the Governor of Kobuleti, is going to appoint the representatives after reorganization finishes. However, he is going to elect the candidates for the positions together with the local people. “We want to take the villagers’ opinions into consideration. These people will offer us some candidates and then we will discuss their questions at the administration’s meeting.”

According to the governor’s statement, 55 governor’s representatives should be appointed in the Adjara Municipality territorial units in the nearest future.

Irma Zoidze, Batumi