Adjarian law-enforcement agencies today detained Georgian Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli, who arrived in the Khelvachauri region of Adjara to hold meetings with the Adjarian population within the frames of the pre-election campaign of the National Movement-Democrats ruling party.
He was released shortly after the detention and asked to leave Adjara.
“The police told me to follow them. They explained that it was necessary for my security. It was inadmissible,” Zurab Nogaideli told Rustavi 2 television after the release.
Journalists of Imedi and Rustavi 2 televisions were also arrested, but released later. Both televisions reported that the Adjarian law enforcers seized video recording from their journalists.
Incident further increased tensions between the central authorities and the leadership of the Autonomous Republic.
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania condemned the fact of the Finance Minister’s detention in the Adjara Autonomous Republic.
“The central authorities will never permit, that members of the Georgian government have problems of arrival or holding meetings with the voters in any regions of Georgia. The fact of Nogaideli’s detention was inadmissible,” the Prime Minister said on March 13.
However, the Adjarian officials claimed the Finance Minister arrived in Adjara to trigger destabilization in the region and to bribe the voters on the eve of the March 28 elections.
“Zurab Nogaideli was distributing money right from his car in order to bribe the Adjarian voters. He arrived in Adjara to trigger destabilization in the region. We asked him to leave the region to avoid further aggravation of situation,” Interior Minister of the Adjara Autonomous Republic Jemal Gogitidze told reporters on March 13.
The Interior Minister said that the central authorities are training troops to attack Adjara, adding that Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze has specially left for Moscow on March 12 to acquaint the Russian leadership and international community about the danger that poses Adjara.
Before departure to Moscow late on March 12 Aslan Abashidze said “I have to notify the international community about the current chaos in Georgia.” He said that the central authorities intend to overthrow Adjarian authorities.
“Central authorities launched hostilities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and central authorities launched confrontations with Adjara,” he said.
Meanwhile, the two opposition movements Our Adjara and Democratic Adjara intend to launch an election campaigning in Adjara on March 15. After the warnings from the Adjarian authorities that they will not permit rallies in the region, opposition movements denied they intend to hold mass protest rallies.
“We only want to meet the voters and conduct peaceful election campaign in Adjara. We have right to do this,” Edward Surmanidze of the Democratic Adjara movement told reporters on March 13.