Besik Gulordava the acting mayor of Kutaisi, Georgian’s second largest city, presented his new city government to the Sakrebulo [city council] for approval. The new staff, however, will work in the old services of the mayor’s office. Structural reorganization of the local governance and self-governance of Kutaisi, the necessity of Gulordava explained with dysfunctionality of city services and artificially increased staff, is postponed for uncertain period.

The government is not totally new and there are some old faces in the appointments. Irakli Beradze, head of the city’s maintenance department, is a carryover from the last administration, which came as a surprise to some. Just two days before, Gulordava had come out publicly and stated that he would fire Beradze based on the accusations that he had been involved in some corrupt deals. Today, however, he claims that the only criterion that he used in selecting appointees to the new posts was honesty.

“No dirty deals stand behind this staff and no corrupted deals can influence them. At the same time, they have the capacity to establish order in their respective departments and not spare anybody should they be caught up in violations,” Gulordava told 24 Saati (Hours).

The majority of changes have occurred in services related to economic matters in city management. Head of Economic Development Service, Kote Kavtaradze, and head of Financial Department, Levan Gogelashvili, were removed from their posts as of last week and substituted with Archil Pruidze and Tariel Makaradze respectively. Some time ago, both Gogelashvili and Kavtaradze were recruited from among the membership of the Young Economists’ Association, Kutaisi branch, which has had some influence in the new city government. Moreover, Gulordava recently appointed Besik Bregadze, member of the association’s managing board, as his deputy.

A number of representatives from other non-governmental organizations re invited to work in the municipality. The former west Georgia coordinator of the Fair Elections Society became head of Kutaisi’s Regional Management Service.

Sulkhan Kobuladze, head of the Public Interest Protection Center, was appointed the head of Administrative Inspection. Kobuladze is known as protege of Demur Giorkhelidze, one of the candidates in mayor elections and former MP. It is said that Kobuladze was expected to get posts during the last two mayors as well, though unsuccessfully.

Local National Movement organization also received a share of slots, but at the expense of getting one in exchange for two. Goga Kldiashvili, head of the mayor’s office staff, and Tamaz Chakvetadze, head of the Regional Management Service, were fired.

Besik Giorgbelidze from the National Movement became head of the City’s Infrastructure Service, but it is difficult to speculate that party affiliation played a decisive role since he was expelled from the party six months ago.

Manuchar Chitashvili, known as the former Imereti Governor Davit Mumladze’s “discovery” was presented for municipality staff head’s position.

The new mayor took into consideration the need to have appointment from both sexes and proposed one woman to a high post. Nino Buadze became Kutaisi Medical and Social Protection Service head.

There are other changes expected, such as structural changes in operations in the municipality but these are to be decided at such time as a commission is formed to deal with new priorities.