The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 19 2004
Minister in electric seat
Former minister downplays attacks as wintertime pressure
By Christina Tashkevich
This Wednesday turned out to be a very hard day for the Minister of
Energy Nika Gilauri. First he listened to sharp criticism from the
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania at the government session and then he
was grilled in debates with majoritarian MPs at Parliament.
The majoritarians, representing almost all of Georgia’s regions,
gathered at a meeting of the sectoral economy committee of Parliament
on Wednesday to listen to Gilauri’s speech.
The majority of MPs criticized the minister and even threatened him
with dismissal. “We can seriously influence this sphere,” claimed
leader of Conservatives Zviad Dzidziguri during discussion.
“For example, if there is no [electricity] in a week, let’s raise the
issue of Gilauri’s dismissal,” said Dzidziguri. At the end of the
meeting majoritarian MPs gave Gilauri a 10-day deadline to schedule
regular electric supplies in the regions.
In Gilauri’s defense, the former minister of energy Mamuka
Nikolaishvili told reporters that the Minister of Energy and the
Ministry always is under attack in winter, “because it is hard to
satisfy everybody when you have a deficit in the energy system.”
He pointed out there should be “certain fairness in distributing the
existing, small electricity resources that Georgia has.” He added
further support for the ministry, saying, “I know that the ministry
seriously works on this task.”
Meanwhile Tbilisi may have fewer or even no problems with electricity
this winter. Wednesday evening Telasi started importing 100 megawatts
of electricity from Russia through the Kavkasioni high transmission
line.
In addition Georgia will be getting 100 megawatts of imports from
Armenia. “With imports of 200 megawatts, I think the winter should go
by without problems,” said the General Director of Telasi Dangiras
Mikalajunas on Wednesday.
Meanwhile Gilauri himself commented to journalists after the meeting
with MPs that he “never promised there will be a 24-hour electricity
supply.” The minister says the problems in the sector are very
difficult but added they “can be resolved.”
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, who a week ago also threatened Gilauri
with the axe if electricity supplies were not well managed, again
expressed his dissatisfaction with the electricity supply problems at
the Wednesday government session. He demanded from Gilauri a complete
countrywide energy schedule within one week, saying that he wanted to
know exactly which regions would receive electricity at what time.
“Not only Minister Gilauri but every government member must be
involved in the process of regulating this system,” Zhvania said.
“There are many problems connected with electricity in all regions of
Georgia, and only in some big cities can it be said that the
situation has improved, although I must admit that in Kutaisi the
situation is much better, and the same can be said about Zugdidi. But
in Mtskheta and Mtskheta-Tianeti as a whole nothing has changed.
Nothing has changed besides the demonstrations and my effort to
regulate the schedule there,’ stated the prime minister.