Officials Protest against Petition to Annul Adjara’s Autonomy

Georgian authorities harshly slammed collection of signatures organized by non-partisan opposition MP Koba Davitashvili in Adjara with the demand to cancel the region’s autonomous status on June 20.

Supporters of Koba Davitashvili, who is a former ally of President Saakashvili, set up points outside the polling stations on June 20 – elections day in Adjara, collecting signatures of the residents of the Adjara Autonomous Republic.

Chairman of the Supreme Election Commission of Adjara Irakli Pagava condemned the move by MP Koba Davitashvili as “illegal.” “Holding this kind of actions on the elections day is illegal,” he told the reporters on June 20.

Levan Varshalomidze, the Chairman of the Interim Council of Adjara, which runs the region after the peaceful ouster of ex-Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze, said that collection of signature on the elections day “might mislead the voters.”

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, who was visiting Adjara on the elections day, also criticized Davitashvili and reiterated that Adjara will retain its autonomous status.

“The Parliament will start discussion of the draft law on distribution of constitutional powers between Tbilisi and Adjara Autonomous Republic next week,” she told reporters in Batumi, Adjarian capital.
 
However, Koba Davitashvili dismissed accusations and said at a news briefing in Batumi that election code prohibits only campaigning in favor of particular party on the elections day and not collection of signatures.

“We are collection signatures of those residents of Adjara, who does not want autonomous status for Adjara. We are not campaigning in support of particular political parties,” MP Koba Davitashvili told reporters.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian)