Georgian opposition accuses ruling party of inadequate response to natural disasters
The opposition coalition "Strong Georgia" accused the current government, which actually consists of members of the "Georgian Dream" party, of incompetence in responding to natural disasters. In particular, we are talking about heavy snowfalls, which Western Georgia has been struggling with for more than a week. Residents of the regions of Guria and Adjara found themselves in the most difficult situation. Since February 23, many villages have been left without electricity, gas and water. Food products have started to run out in stores and residential buildings.
"If people cannot be quickly helped during heavy snowfall, this is a failure of state policy," said opposition coalition representative Grigol Gegelia in an interview with the Palitranius TV channel.
According to him, this time the government needed four days to decide on involving the army in the rescue operation.
"And every time it is the same. "There is no helicopter, and when there is, it cannot fly, a tractor cannot pass, there is no early warning system, there is no communication, rescuers cannot get to the site," Gegelia noted, recalling the Tbilisi flood and the landslide in Shovi.
He also reproached the executive secretary of the Georgian Dream, Mamuka Mdinaradze, for cynicism due to his statement that the opposition is politicizing the topic of natural disasters, accusing the government of the death of a 106-year-old woman in one of the villages affected by the disaster.
"This man came out and said that she was a 106-year-old woman and that is why she died. What difference does it make how old she was? Maybe she could have lived to 115. If someone is 106 years old, according to Mdinaradze, they will not live any longer?" Gegelia was indignant.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, in turn, said that the issue of evacuating the population from the disaster zone is not relevant at the moment.
According to him, it is more important now for rescuers to reach each village and provide assistance on the ground. He also repeated that opposition representatives are "sowing panic" and "engaging in speculation."
