Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze addressed criticism following the tragic collapse of a residential building near Station Square, emphasizing that neither he nor his team would ever forcibly evict residents from their homes.
“We’re not the kind of people who storm into families’ homes with special forces and drag them out,” Kaladze said, responding to claims of municipal negligence. “That’s not the right approach. We’re building a modern state where we offer people the chance to move from dangerous buildings into new apartments under a city-backed replacement program.”
Kaladze dismissed accusations that City Hall was solely to blame, calling them politically motivated and unfair. “It’s wrong to politicize every unfortunate event and pin the blame on me or the municipality. Yes, we all share responsibility for what happens in the city, but there are laws and procedures. We follow them,” he stated.
He emphasized that the municipality—not private investors—guarantees the construction of new housing and takes full responsibility for the process. “People are understandably cautious, given past experiences with failed investor projects. But in this case, it’s the municipality standing behind the commitment.”
Kaladze also clarified that residents of the collapsed building were offered participation in the official replacement program. “We documented the offer. Only two people agreed to move and are currently receiving rent support. The rest declined. Let’s deal with facts, not false narratives.”
He concluded by urging more honest public discourse: “Governments and mayors will change, but these structural problems will remain unless we face them with truth and responsibility.”
