About Civil.ge
Eng | Geo | Rus
Last updated: 10:55 - 1 May.'18
RSS
Mobile
Twitter
Facebook
Tbilisi Municipality to Set Up its Security Service
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 11 Oct.'12 / 11:54

(UPDATE: adds third paragraph about Tbilisi City Hall amending statute of its security service)

Tbilisi Mayor’s Office plans to establish city security service to providing security of the capital city municipality’s facilities, administrative buildings, parks and public gardens.

According to an initial statute of the new security service, approved by Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava on October 9, the service had the right, “in case of necessity”, to provide security for Tbilisi Mayor, chairman of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo) and for other municipality officials.

After the decision triggered controversy, the Tbilisi Mayor’s Office amended statute of its security service and removed a provision, which allowed the service to provide security to Tbilisi mayor and other municipality official. Some other provisions, such as giving the service the right to perform unspecified functions “envisaged by the law”, have also been removed.

Tbilisi Mayor, Gigi Ugulava, who is President Saakashvili’s close ally and elected on the post for four-year term in May, 2010, will have the right to appoint and dismiss head of the municipal security service, who will be reporting directly to the Mayor.

Funds for the operation of the new service will be allocated from the Tbilisi budget, which requires approval from the 50-member Tbilisi City Council, where 36 seats are currently occupied by members from President Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) party.

The new service will be made up of seven units; among them are: rapid reaction unit; as well as separate units for providing security to Tbilisi municipality’s various facilities and administrative buildings, parks and gardens.

Head of the Tbilisi City Hall’s legal department, Irakli Abesadze, said on October 10, that the municipality’s security service employees would have no right to carry firearm, InterPressNews agency reported. He claimed that saving of funds was the reason behind setting up of such service.

Last week President Saakashvili, whose UNM party will lose control over the cabinet, which will be formed by the election winner Georgian Dream coalition, issued two decrees taking under his subordination two agencies previously under the control of the government ministries.

According to October 5 presidential decree the Agency for Special State Communications was transferred from the subordination of the Interior Ministry to the Special State Protection Service (SSPS); the latter is under the subordination of the President and is in charge of providing security to high-ranking officials.

The Agency for Special State Communications is in charge of running secure communication lines for top level and senior officials, among them the President, parliamentary speaker, members of the National Security Council and others.

Also on October 5 President Saakashvili issued a decree transferring state agency in charge of maintenance and providing proper functioning of governmental and presidential residences and facilities under the subordination of SSPS; previously the agency was under the subordination of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.

Several watchdog and civil society organizations, such as Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association; Transparency International Georgia; Economic Policy Research Center and Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, said in a joint statement on October 9 that these two decisions by the President were not expedient in a post-election period when new parliament and government were not yet formed.

Latest News
01 May.'18 10:55
We Have Moved to a New Platform
Direct Your Bookmarks to https://civil.ge.
29 Apr.'18 03:54
Ruling Party Candidate Wins MP By-Elections
Givi Chichinadze will represent Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of Georgia.
28 Apr.'18 09:40
Polls Open for Vani and Khoni MP By-Elections
48,123 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency.
27 Apr.'18 17:23
State Dept’s Europe Affairs Point Man to Visit Tbilisi
Wess Mitchell will meet senior government officials and address the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum.
27 Apr.'18 13:45
In Quotes: Georgian Politicians on Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Comeback
Bidzina Ivanishvili will be approved as the Georgian Dream party chairman at the upcoming convention.
26 Apr.'18 18:15
SG Jens Stoltenberg: Georgia NATO’s ‘Very Close’ Partner
The NATO Secretary General says Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow will recognize the country’s progress.
26 Apr.'18 14:24
Ex-PM Ivanishvili to Chair Georgian Dream Party
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Ivanishvili was ‘best equipped’ to add new dynamism to the party.
26 Apr.'18 11:12
Lawmaker Proposes Criminal Liability for ‘Insult of Religious Feelings’
The parliamentary human rights committee decided to set up a working group for scrutinizing the draft law.
25 Apr.'18 17:21
New Abkhaz Government Head Appointed
Gennady Gagulia has served as the Abkhaz “prime minister” twice - in 1995-1997, and 2002-2003.
25 Apr.'18 14:43
Watchdog Improves Georgia’s Press Freedom Ranking
None of the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltics) are ranked ahead of Georgia.

About Civil Georgia
Civil.Ge © 2001-2025, Daily News Online
Registered office: 2 Dolidze Str, 4-th Floor.
14