Special Security Service created at Tbilisi Mayoral
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, October 11
The Tbilisi Mayoral is creating Tbilisi Mayoral Security service. The special resolution concerning the issue was signed by acting Mayor, Gigi Ugulava.
The service will be financed through the Tbilisi budget and it will be obliged to carry out the following functions:
1. Ensuring security of gardens, parks and other administrative buildings belonging to the Tbilisi Mayoral.
2. Defending of the property located inside of such constructions or objects.
3. Security protection of Tbilisi Mayor, head of Tbilisi Hall and other officials if needed.
4. Carrying out the monitoring in the Mayoral departments.
5. Ensuring the security of the events organized by Tbilisi Mayoral.
6. Swift reaction on any kind of legal violations on the objects or possessions of the Mayoral: in the parks, gardens and so on.
7. Carrying out of functions delegated to them by Tbilisi Mayor, deputy Mayors or by the chairs of Mayoral departments.
According to the chairperson of Tbilisi Mayoral Legal Service, Irakli Abesadze, such a body will enable the Mayoral to better defend its property and save funds as well. He also explained that the employees of the body will not be permitted to carry weapons.
“The service will not defend Ugulava as a Special Security Service already fulfils such a function.”
Abesadze also spoke on the technical issues and defined that when the resolution is confirmed by Tbilisi's Mayor the service will be formed.
“Then we will address Tbilisi City hall to confirm the fact as well,” Abesadze said.
The decision was called “odious” by the coalition Georgian Dream representatives. According to Viktor Dolidze, there is no need for the creation of such a service.
“There has not been any problem concerning the security protection of Mayoral property, Tbilisi Mayor or some other officials. There are special services which carry out such functions,” Dolidze told The Messenger.
He has also underscored that as soon as the Parliament gathers, this and some other decisions made by the UNM representatives will be “looked over.”
The Georgian media speculates that Ugulava cares about on his own security through the decision and as such, this service is being formed personally for him.
According to independent analyst, Demur Giorkhelidze, what is being done on the level of local self governments’ do not include any threat.
“As soon as the decision leaves the frames of law, the Central Government can easily block it. I do not think that Tbilisi Mayor is creating an armed unit… if he acts likes he will have a serious problems,” Giorkhelidze told The Messenger.
