City Council Decision will be taken to Court

October 10 was distinctively tense in Tbilisi City Council.

Among forty issues in the agenda of the City Council (Sakrebulo) sitting, the issue, regarding transferring two land plots to the companies related to ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, have provoked heated disputes.

The City Council members have decided that 4,433 square meters of the land plot in the Okrokana settlement is handed to the ltd “Tabori Resort” for GEL 102 000 and 1,900 square meters of the land plot near the territory of the project “Panorama Tbilisi” on Pushkini street is given to the ltd “Tbilisi City” for a symbolic price one Georgian Lari (approx. 0.41 USD).

The decision was made against unanimous protests and demarche of the opposition on Tuesday.

Representatives of the United National Movement (UNM) and European Georgia rallied outside City Council building on October 10. The protestants were denied access to the City Council and law-enforcers detained eight persons, who were supporters of the opposition parties. Only Council members and media representatives were allowed to the building.

The representatives of Georgian Dream (GD) and opposition have made mutual accusations regarding the rally and its consequences.

Member of GD and Chairperson of Revision Commission, Nugzar Malaghuradze, said that people opposing privatization of the land plots are not “civic minded.” Chair of City Council Giorgi Alibegashvili also noted that the opposition claims the lands have been transferred for 1 GEL without explaining that the decision envisages 1,5 million USD investment project as a result.

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) statement reads that “the symbolic price for the land plot is unreasonable and contradicts the rational management of the property owned by the municipality.”

Opposition members of the City Council also have left the session as a sign of protest declaring all legal ways of resistance has been exhausted in the Council and they would appeal to Court.

The City Council was planning to approve the issue on September 29, however, the discussion was cancelled due to rigorous protests of the opposition at that time.

It seems the City Council decision will further be taken to Court for discussion. How the Court handles the case is of utmost importance for the Georgian Society who amidst hot debates between the opposition and majority strives to learn how legitimate the decision is and how it will benefit Tbilisi.