Christian Democrats outraged by street vendors’ treatment

The "Christian Democrats" Faction of Tbilisi City Assembly accused the City Hall members of an attack on street vendors on Saturday. According to the information released by the faction members on July 4, a raid on street vendors near Isani Metro Station was illegal and should be investigated. As the faction members told the media, unknown groups in civil costumes arrived at the station on a mini-bus, attacked the traders, grabbed their personal belongings and spoiled their products.

“The raid was not planned so the vendors were not aware of the possible attack,” Jaba Samushia Deputy Chairman of the faction stated. Explaining that such activities can only follow the preliminary warnings, Samushia addressed the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Georgia (MIA) to investigate the case and punish the criminals. Encouraging Tbilisi City Hall to find alternative ways for people earning their everyday money through street trade, Christian Democrats worried that street trade has not been properly regulated in Tbilisi.

“We encourage the Georgian Government to be more loyal towards the street vendors and solve the related problem in civil ways,” Samushia stated. Offering the authorities either to reduce taxation at markets or allow street vendor at a particular period of a day and night the Deputy Chairman addressed the officials to be more oriented on regulating the problem because “presentation of new markets is not a solution to the problem” as the traders will find it expensive to pay the rent for the places at the renewed markets.

Kakha Guruli Chairman of Human Rights and Public Relations Commission of the Council denied the Christian Democrats’ accusation stressing that “Tbilisi City Hall and City Council won’t allow the creation of a chaotic situation around the issue even in the future”. “The relevant services are constantly monitoring street trade in order to avoid illegal trade at forbidden places,” Guruli said, stressing that the representatives of City Hall had only arrived at Isani Metro Station to warn the vendors and remind them of the alternative locations available.