Political echoes of Tbilisi flood

On May 12, thanks to heavy rain in Tbilisi, some districts of the city were flooded and five people died. This tragedy has, of course, prompted a critical and partisan reaction.

The Green Party has asked for consultations with other parties and NGOs, in hopes demanding that the mayor and city council resign. Their leader suggests that the rain was not enough to cause the damage seen, and blames city authorities for failing to take preventative measures. Many have noted that the Mayor’s Office should have cleaned the city's drainage system well in advance so that excess water would not have collected.

Some parties, in particular Democratic Movement-United Georgia, demand the creation of an investigation commission. The Mayor’s Office is being criticized for failing to maintain, rehabilitate or rebuild infrastructure, and for allowing unregulated deforestation of forests, which led to landslides during the storm.

The government has promised to repair the damage and build better homes for those families who saw their destroyed. It appears that nothing can happen in this country without political significance.