Tbilisi Mayor Faces Threat of Being Impeached

The Labor Party, which won the local elections of June 2, moved to impeach the mayor of the capital city, Tbilisi.

The leader of the party Shalva Natelashvili and other 13 members elected to Tbilisi City Council accused the Mayor – Vano Zodelava of improper spending of the budgetary funds, corruption and overstepping the responsibilities. The Labor also claim the origins of the property worth 2,5 million Lari (USD 1,1 million), indicated in Zodelava’s tax files, are to be investigated.

At the news briefing on September 5, Natelashvili made 20 counts of charges against the mayor, saying that confirmation of even one of those twenty would warrant impeachment. His party, which now has 13 seats out of total 49 in the reelected City Council, will demand mayor’s impeachment at the very first session of the Sakrebulo. Before the session, the party will be conducting consultations with other members of the Council.

Pre-impeachment procedure has already started. 17 votes are required for this issue to be discussed at the Council and 2/3 of the total votes will be required to actually impeach the mayor. The Labor Party is confident that for the first time in the history of the capital city, the parties will succeed in voting non-confidence to the mayor and impeaching him.

Natelashvili says that Tbilisi citizens have already impeached Zodelava when a party backing him, the Citizens Union, received only 2,5% of the votes. “People support us and we will clean Tbilisi from the garbage which is Shevardnadze’s corrupted clan and behind which Zodelava is hiding,” Chairman of the Labor Party has stated.

Mayor Zodelava dismissed accusations and said that this is the political campaign against him. While the Labor Party was initiating the impeachment, Zodelava was attending a forum of Tbilisi Branch of the Citizens Union Party.  

President Shevardnadze appointed Vano Zodelava, 46, the mayor of Tbilisi in 1997. Before that he served as a mayor of the city port of Poti. He was the first politician who suggested revision of the Constitution to allow President Shevardnadze run for the third term.

Vano Zodelava does not enjoy much of the partisan support. Therefore, the Labor Party counts on success. At the same time, Natelashvili promises mass protests in front of the Municipality if the government would try to delay the issue or pressure his party.

By Goga Chanadiri, Civil Georgia