Rector Stands Firm on Reforms, amid University Standoff

A group of lecturers and professors burst into the office of acting rector of the Tbilisi State University (TSU) on July 3 demanding his resignation.

One part of the TSU academicians is protesting against the rule of competition which aims at recruiting new lecturers for 550 vacant positions in the TSU. Protesters insist that the competition should be carried out by the Great Council ? a governing body of the TSU, which has been disbanded last year by the new administration and no longer has legal authority ? instead of the commission composed by the new administration of the University.

Standoff in the TSU has launched last month, when a group of protester academicians were twice dispersed by the police when they tried to stage a permanent protests in the university hall. On July 3 police again came into play and forced protesters to leave the rector?s office.

?I call on the law enforcement agencies to punish those who have organized disorders,? Education Minister Kakha Lomaia said at a news conference.

He also said that the TSU’s acting rector has already requested the law enforcers to launch criminal proceedings against organizers of the incident.

Some opposition political parties, including New Rights, Labor, Industrialists and Freedom, have joined the protests and are also demanding TSU acting rector?s resignation. Giorgi Khubua was appointed as TSU rector in April after a previous rector Rusudan Lortkipanidze was sacked with the insistence of Education Minister Kakha Lomaia as he reportedly was dissatisfied with Lortkipanidze?s performance for slow reforms in the TSU.

Backed by Education Minister Kakha Lomaia, Giorgi Khubua reiterated on July 3 that planned reforms and competition for new academic positions in the University will continue despite obstacles created by protesters.

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