2016-07-07 Zaal Gudadze, an employee of the Department of Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Gori Municipality Sakrebulo, was dismissed from work. He had been working at Sakrebulo as an expert/consultant for infrastructure issues since 2014, and his work contract was to expire upon expiration of the term of Sakrebulo. He was retrenched as a surplus employee. While Gori Sakrebulo is authorized to hire 12 employees under work contracts, Mr. Gudadze’s above-the-limit appointment was intentional. In particular, Mr. Gudadze was first dismissed by Sakrebulo Chair Ilia Metreveli alongside other four employees on June 16, 2016, but the order of dismissal was invalidated in two hours. In between, Mr. Metreveli hired members of his Georgian Party under work contracts (Irakli Okruashvili and Kakha Ergemlidze), after which he invalidated the orders of dismissal and appointed the previously fired employees above the limit. Following the dismissal, two employees Zaal Gudadze and Giorgi Aptsiauri were reinstated under work contracts, while three other employees that had previously been appointed following a selection process, were reinstated as acting employees, which means that they will have to go through the selection process all over again. Zaal Gudadze alleges that his dismissal was politically motivated. He states that Sakrebulo Chair, who is a member of the Georgian Party, is trying to hire members of his party in Sakrebulo. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association is now representing Mr. Gudadze and three other employees (who have been appointed as acting employees) in court.