Writers, translators, publishers in Writers’ house protest new chair, “Soviet-like rule”

About a hundred writers, translators, publishers and people employed in the field of literature on Thursday protested the appointment of Ketevan Dumbadze – an MP in the ruling Georgian Dream party – as the new chair in the country’s Writers’ House. 

The signatories said they disobeyed the policy of the Ministry of Culture under Thea Tsulukiani, which they said had an “undemocratic, Soviet, anti-state character”. 

Ketevan Dumbadze, a daughter of a well-known Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze, who has been scheduled to rule the organization starting from September 4, said she could not understand the excitement of “some writers”, as she had “never had” any controversies with them. 

“I have been serving this field all my conscious life and I thought that I can do a lot of [good] things. Does anyone think that something will change for the worse in the Writers’ House?” Dumbadze told the media. 

Tina Bokucha, an MP of the United National Movement opposition party, on Thursday said the “porting” or the ruling party MP to the Writers’ House would mean the field would “also become under the control” of Bidzina Ivanishvili, a founder of the GD, labeled as a “shadow ruler” by the opposition.