Tbilisi still without budget, city council demands resignation

Ongoing disagreements about the Tbilisi city budget has led to the city council chairman demanding the Tbilisi government to resign.

Disagreement continues to surround the budget even though the budget has not been approved.

The total budget for the capital city in 2014 amounts to 730 million GEL (418 million USD).

Chairman of the Tbilisi City Council Irakli Shikhiashvili believed the only solution to the impasse caused by the disagreement would be the resignation of the city government.

Shikhiashvili said over the years, the balance of power could not be reached between the city government and City Council.

"This would enable us to avoid concentration of the power in the hands of one person. Particularly, in the hands of the city Mayor,” he said.

"When the Mayor is accused of embezzlement of 50 000 USD public money and the city government was appointed by him personally, how fairly can the budget funds be distributed?” Shikhiashvili asked.

He claimed there was reasonable doubt that the United National Movement party would still use the budget in favour of its own electoral campaign.

On December 29, Tbilisi City Council failed to approve the 2014 budget for the capital city. At least 24 votes are needed to pass the proposed budget. The budget was supported by 18 delegates, 21 voted against and 3 opted not to vote.

The disagreement between the majority and minority surrounded the budget distribution as well as budget priorities defined by the city government.

The majority of City Council delegates found there was a high risk the budget would be distributed unfairly and demanded a more detailed explanation.

Since then, the both parties have stated they were ready to negotiate however the process has not developed.