After the parliamentary elections of October 1, 2012, in which the Georgian Dream coalition won, the so-called cohabitation period began — a situation in which the parliament and the president represented opposing political forces. The Georgian Dream held the parliamentary majority and formed the government, while the president remained Mikheil Saakashvili, the leader of the United National Movement (UNM). Local self-governments also remained under UNM control.

On November 20, 2012, a protest began in front of the Martvili Municipality Administration building, demanding the resignation of the municipal governor and the chair of the local council. The protesters prevented local government officials from entering the building or performing their duties until their demands were met.

The demonstration followed complaints from residents of the villages of Mukhurcha and Vedidkari, who had requested a meeting with the governor on November 17. They claimed that two years earlier, their plots of land and pastures had been sold illegally by the local government. The chairman of the municipal council, UNM member Zaal Goroziya — the brother of Samegrelo governor Zaza Goroziya — denied the accusations.

“I went to register my land in the Public Registry, and it turned out it had already been sold without anyone asking me. This district belonged only to the Goroziyas; nobody cared about the people,” said one of the protesters.

The protest escalated when demonstrators stormed the administration building and damaged property.

“The Martvili incident is the culmination of recent developments known as attempts by the Georgian Dream to bring under its control local self-governing bodies composed of UNM members elected in the 2010 local elections,” wrote Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

“If in Martvili this is visually evident — throwing chairs out of windows, smashing glass, storming buildings — similar pressures are being applied in nearly every municipality. Some can withstand it; others can’t. Immediate action from law enforcement is crucial, but it’s not happening,” said Mamuka Abuladze, chairman of the National Association of Local Authorities.

On November 27, UNM MP Chiora Taktakishvili stated that state agencies, particularly the Finance Ministry’s Investigative Service and its deputy head Giga Akhvlediani, were involved in directly pressuring local officials to resign. The following day, Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava made the same accusation. Both claimed Akhvlediani personally blackmailed local officials. The Finance Ministry’s Investigative Service officially denied the allegations.

On the eleventh day of the protest, several participants began a hunger strike. Their demand — the resignation of Martvili governor Mamuka Danelia and council chairman Zaal Goroziya — remained unchanged. Protesters continued to blockade the municipal building, preventing staff from entering.

As a result, the Prosecutor’s Office launched an inquiry into the activities of the governor and the local council. On December 20, the blockade of the administration building was lifted.

Meanwhile, similar protests were taking place in other municipalities. In Zugdidi, demonstrators demanded the resignation of the local governor and council chair. On December 17, about forty citizens, organized by the NGO White Ribbon, held a demonstration in front of the Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti regional administration.

Governors of Abasha, Tsalenjikha, Chkhorotsku, and Khobi, as well as council chairpersons in Senaki and Poti, resigned. New council chairs were appointed in Khobi and Tsalenjikha.

On December 29, protesters met with MPs Koba Davitashvili and Eliso Chapidze, who promised to raise their concerns at the next government meeting and take all necessary measures to protect the interests of Martvili residents. After a month-long protest, the demonstrations came to an end.