Prepared by Messenger Staff
Dekanoidze Warns University Merger is a 'Mass Purge' in Disguise
The United National Movement member Khatia Dekanoidze issued a stark warning, claiming the government's plan to merge Georgia's top universities is actually a calculated effort to dismantle the country's higher education system and purge critical voices.
She alleged that the merger of Tbilisi State University (TSU) and the Georgian Technical University (GTU) is a front for mass layoffs and property liquidation.
"They are not merging universities, they are abolishing them," Dekanoidze told reporters. "This ugly system will affect everyone."
According to Dekanoidze, internal reports suggest the government plans to dismiss 60% to 70% of GTU staff and significantly slash student admission quotas. She further alleged that the ultimate goal is the privatization and sale of valuable university real estate in the capital.
The authorities have defended the reform as a necessary step to boost Georgia's international academic rankings. However, Dekanoidze argued the move is part of a broader "autocratic" shift designed to tighten state control over autonomous institutions.
"What have they done to improve the quality of education?" she asked. "This is aimed at intimidating individuals and ensuring only loyal staff remain."
The merger has already sparked protests among students and faculty, who fear the loss of institutional identity and academic freedom.
Tsulukiani Mocks Gakharia Over 'Armed Security' Demands
Vice Speaker Tea Tsulukiani ridiculed former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, claiming he was too intimidated to attend a recent commission hearing without a private security detail.
The jab followed claims from Gakharia's party that he had "defeated" Tsulukiani in previous debates. Tsulukiani dismissed the notion, describing a politician gripped by "fear and anxiety."
"When Gakharia decided to come to the session, he demanded that he would come only with security," Tsulukiani told lawmakers. "I do not have a gun. I do not shoot. From whom did he need to be protected with weapons?"
Tsulukiani also pointed to the commission's final report, which blames Gakharia for "irresponsible decisions" that led to the loss of Georgian territory now occupied by Russia. She argued that the political fallout was so severe it effectively forced him out of the country's leadership circle.
"The result of the debate is that we expelled this person from the country," she stated. "I don't know what kind of defeat you are talking about."
Allies of Giorgi Gakharia defended his absence from recent televised debates, characterizing the format as "simulated" rather than a result of hesitation. Thea Tsulukiani dismissed this explanation, stating that if a "hand-to-hand fight" were the goal, she would not be the one requiring a five-person entourage.
