People’s Assembly of Pankisi addresses public officials

People’s Assembly of Pankisi issued a statement on their Facebook page regarding the events of April 21, 2019, that took place in Pankisi Gorge.

The Assembly, which consists of the doyens and the youth of the gorge addresses the letter to the Government of Georgia, Georgian Society, diplomatic corps and civic organizations. They ask the recipients to take part in resolving the crisis.

“No matter how much we criticize the political processes that preceded the April 21 events, which concerns the construction of a cascade of hydroelectric stations …it is unambiguously unacceptable and inadmissible to use violent forms of protest that was used by the civilians. As the devoted children of our country, we believe that the main concern of each citizen is the protection of the security of our country” reads the statement.

The Assembly expressed their readiness to try to prevent the future escalation of the process – “we express readiness to do everything in our power to not allow the repetition of such actions in Pankisi Gorge”.

According to the statement, the initial reason for assembling was to regulate the protest within the community regarding the construction of HPPs. But the spontaneous police action in the gorge led to the excessive discontent within the locals.

The basis for the discontent and distrust, according to the Assembly, lies within the years of policies oriented on punishing that were carried out in the gorge. “We got the undesirable outcome, which is not within the interest of any citizen of our country, as a result of decisions that lacked democratic communication”.

In the statement, the Assembly stresses the importance of the actions of The Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia, that was geared towards immediate de-escalation of the process. After a few hours from the incident of April 21, The Minister arrived in Pankisi and met with the doyens of the community and promised them that the HPP wouldn’t be built unless the 90% of the locals agreed on the construction.

The statement asks the public officials, the members of The Government and The Parliament, including The Minister of Internal Affairs and The Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality to meet with the locals to overcome the issues and start a new stage of collaboration, “which will be based on mutual self-criticism of the decisions and mistakes from both sides”.

Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, expressed her readiness to continue the talks with the Pankisi Gorge locals.

“we will discuss all the important issues with the community. Including the works that are planned in the future for the development of the gorge.” Said Tsikhelashvili. According to her, the development plan is completely based on the needs of the people living in the gorge. “I have a hope that we will discuss all the topics with the civic responsibility that is characteristic for the Kist people that live in Pankisi Gorge” said the Minister.

On April 21, 2019 locals in Pankisi Gorge were protesting the renewed construction of a hydroelectric station Khadori 3, which resulted in a clash between the demonstrators and the police forces. In a violent confrontation, tear gas and rubber bullets were used against the protesters and the locals threw stones at the law enforcers. 55 people were injured during the altercation, 38 of whom were the police officers.