It is a first time in the history of Tbilisi, that a population has an opportunity to elect a City Mayor. This is a main demand of society and the opposition, and the government fulfilled it. The elections race, as it was expected, started in a background of mutual accusations. The part of the opposition accused the other one in dividing of the society. The other one is not interested with the ideas of a government and other part of the opposition and conducts the elections campaign despite of anything. Gia Chanturia, candidate for City Mayor from the political party "Christian-Democrats" noted in conversation with the news agency GHN that nothing could be done with mutual accusations, and a quarreling is a big mistake of the opposition.
However his opponents are claiming that Gia Chanturia, former head of the oil international corporation, was forgiven by the government for the misappropriated money only for the other his money paid for the government for elections.
-Mister Gia, this year the direct elections of the City Mayor are conducting for the first time. This makes a precedent for the decentralization of the City from the central ruling and pressure. Do you think this is possible by the direct City Mayor elections?
-I think that the society has overestimated the upcoming events. We suppose that changes could not be done overnight. This is not the case. We should resolve problems step by step. The people whish to change an existing difficult situation and wish to restore the dignity, which does not exist nowadays. Today we are talking about the social questions, poverty, about the mere existence of a human being. We have big expectations in respect of May 30. We have to resolve very important problems - the fear before the government and before a future. People do not know if they will be able to fed children and sustain a family, will be able to provide a medical treatment for them, will be they provided with pension, and will it be enough for daily needs - a bread and medicines. The winner in the City Mayor elections will be a person who will show that a next day will be better.
However I would like to note that no matter who will win the elections, we all others have to provide backing to this person. We have to support him in his business. We will not build a country with quarreling, this is our big mistake.
- If Gia Chanturia will became a City Mayor, which problems are expected to be resolved in the City?
- The situation in Tbilisi as in a whole country is very bad. We have two main directions - employment and lower tariffs. When we are talking about the employment we will not resolve the situation if a small and medium business will not be supported. We analyzed the situation and find out that in this direction we have to decrease the taxes for the gas and electricity and to provide a population with free drinking water. Georgia has a huge water resources, it is in the second place in the world in this respect. This would be our first steps, which we are supposed to make, however it does not matter I will be elected, or any other person, we have to do this. We should understand that a life does not ends in May 30, and as well it does not begin.
- Mr Gi it sounds like a socialistic slogan a low taxes and an employment opportunity. From were is it taken?
_ Before Labors the slogan for the employment have had Nationals, but the main is to achieve a result, it is less important to whom it belongs. I am not claiming that I am a father of the slogans, but I think that every person has to do own business, what he can to do. Today a City Mayor can do many things to ease the day to day living hard living of the population. But this is not the case in fact, for example in the resolving of the social problems. It is necessary to reorganize the City Mayor office as an establishment. The city must to return to its natural face. It should became a centre of Caucasus in the cultural and economic point of view. For this the City needs a good manager, who knows how to act but not only to talk.
- Experts say that the ruling party candidate Gigi Ugulava (acting Mayor) is too powerful for the oppositional opponents. His every step is a PR but at the same time the opposition even has no elections program. What chances have opposition candidates in fight with him?
- It is not the case when talking about me. If I will win the elections I have three main priorities. These are electricity, gas and water. All these questions are connected for me to the resolution of social problems; in particular the employment opportunities will not be created if the small an medium business will not develop, if the taxes for energy resources will not be diminished. If we will reduce the taxes for electricity and gas, this will decrease the cost for production. We have to start to work with experts to deliberate about the problem.
What about the winning, this chance have everyone, other vise, nobody would fight for it. It is better to explain to the population own elections program, who will do this in better way - will became a Mayor.
- However the part of opposition is not defined in respect of candidate.
- The people are well tasked against defraud. They will not be mislead by nobody again. It is good that political parties are deliberating with each other. However they have to explain to the population how they are going to resolve the problems. I suppose the process is artificially prolonged.
- Mr Gia you headed the office of international oil corporation in Georgia. Many talks were after you candidacy from "Christian-Democrats". They said that the money taken by you from Oil Corporation were forgiven to you by government only for your huge payment to government for the elections.
- I am not spending even a penny for these elections. Firstly, I have no money, I am not a millionaire. The management of Oil Corporation is under the regulation of international organizations and I could not at no event take money from there. I am an ordinary citizen and have no bank accounts in Switzerland. No privacy as well in France or in USA. Even in Baku I have no home, where I had worked for several years. I am living in Saburtalo and anybody can check it. Such defamation means nothing for me. I had passed this stage already. While working under the projects I was libeled many times in different slander - as if I betrayed Georgia, as if I and Aliev were sharing the tariffs. The projects under which I had worked cost 70 mlrd USD and I have no share in it even in 1 %. Such big agreement is not signed with the taking an account of private interests. What about the oil corporation this is a western, most transparent organization. This is proved by World Bank and European Bank, otherwise nobody would finance us.
- What plans have you for successful elections?
- I am meeting with City population. I decide to do this in every region of the City. At the same time experts started to work under the drop of tariffs, the conclusion will be published before elections. In case if other candidate will win the elections I am ready to support him in this respect as the tariffs reduction system is a document of very high importance.
