Regional governor sacked in Georgia over Kutaisi deaths

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has sacked the governor of Georgia's western Imereti Region after two people were killed in the Saturday's explosion in Georgia's second largest city, Kutaisi

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has sacked the governor of Georgia's western Imereti Region after two people were killed in the Saturday's explosion in Georgia's second largest city, Kutaisi, a presidential spokeswoman said.

The explosion occurred when a memorial to WWII heroes was demolished in Kutaisi, the region's main city. The deaths had evidently resulted from violation of safety regulations.

Manana Manjgaladze said the decision to dismiss Mikheil Chogovadze was taken at an emergency meeting, held by the Georgian president, who broke his visit to Copenhagen and returned to Georgia.

"The president took a relevant decision. Imereti Governor Mikheil Chogovadze was dismissed," the spokeswoman said, adding an investigation intended to discover and punish those guilty was underway.

She said relatives of the dead will receive material aid from the Georgian authorities.

Kutaisi authorities started demolishing the memorial several days ago to construct a parliament building.

Russia's Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily suggested on Wednesday they sought to complete the demolition by December 21, President Mikheil Saakashvili's birthday.

The government has said that the relocation of the Georgian parliament from Tbilisi to Kutaisi will boost the development of western Georgia, but the move has sparked protests among Kutaisi residents and the Georgian opposition.

Sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili, the creator of the war memorial, said the demolition is an insult to the memory of thousands of Georgian soldiers who gave their lives in World War II

TBILISI, December 20 (RIA Novosti)