Marlen Nadiradze, the chairman of the Sakrebulo (City Council) in Gori has been dismissed and replaced by Zviad Khmaladze, a member of the ruling party. The new chairman will also act as the region’s governor.

Nadiradze’s dismissal  came after he publicly expressed support for the ex-defense minister, Irakli Okruashvili.

He also said he would support the nomination of the former governor of the Shida Kartli region, Mikheil Kareli, as the governor of Gori. Kareli was dismissed on September 12 after he had criticised the authorities following the earlier arrest of several officials from the Gori local administration.  

Vasil Makharashvili, the governor of Gori, Nugzar Papunashvili, the deputy chairman of the local administration and other officials were arrested on corruption charges. Most of them have already been sentenced to two-month pretrial detention.

MP Teo Tlashadze, who following the incident in Gori quit the ruling party, said that the arrests were politically motivated and the authorities were trying to purge the administration of Okruashvili supporters.

Officials in Tbilisi, however, have insisted that it  was “an anti-corruption operation."