TBILISI - The potholed streets, cracking facades and busy street trade of the capital of ex-Soviet Georgia could be called 'colorful', but authorities here are giving the word a new meaning as they scramble to spruce up the city ahead of a visit by US President George W. Bush.
Last minute preparations and renovations reminiscent of the frenzied activity that once preceded a visit by a Soviet leader have incensed Tbilisi residents who complain the rushed makeover is turning parts of the city into a garish, multicolored mess.
"Whoever is in charge of this process has no taste! You can't paint the center of Tbilisi with cheap bright colors," said an outraged Malkhaz Kirkitadze, a local artist.
Officials in the Caucasus nation would not reveal how much they are spending on repairing roads that Bush's motorcade will pass over or how much has gone towards giving old buildings a fresh coat of paint in preparation for his arrival next Monday.
But whatever the sums, locals are unhappy with the "improvements."
"As usual, everything is overdone," said Malkhaz Vardosanidze, an independent political analyst. "They only paint those building which are on the president's route."
Bush will "underscore his support for democracy, historic reform, and peaceful conflict resolution," in Georgia, the last leg of a tour taking him through Latvia, the Netherlands and Russia to mark the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, according to officials here.
Georgia overthrew a corrupt, entrenched government in 2003, then elected US-educated President Mikhail Saakashvili in the first of three "people power" revolutions that have swept ex-Soviet republics in the last 18 months, defying Moscow and ushering in pro-Western governments.
Washington has increased its presence in Georgia substantially, gifting the country military equipment and spending over 120 million dollars on training up its military which faces separatist forces in two Russia-backed quasi-states.
In 2006, the United States will spend 80.2 million dollars (62 million euros) on aid to Georgia, a strategically important area that separates Russia from the Middle East on one hand and links the West to Central Asian oil on the other with the BTC pipeline scheduled to go online as early as May.
The US has also supported Georgia in its quest to force Russia to withdraw some 3,000 troops from two Soviet-era military bases in the republic, while some 900 Georgian soldiers serve alongside coalition forces in Iraq.
Hence all the busy reconstruction work, according to a Georgian culture ministry official.
"This is a historic visit and the city should look ready for it," said Deputy Minister Guga Sulkhanishvili.
"The population of Tbilisi should see how important the visit is to the government and the people of this country," Sulkhanishvili enthused.
Not everyone in Georgia however feels the same way about the bright green, pink, purple, and orange colors that are starting to dominate parts of the capital.
"Tbilisi is an old city of conservative shades, its beauty is not in bright colors, it's in its original architecture," said Maria Zeikidze, a resident.
"You can't just blindly copy Americana, especially its worst examples," she added.
The popular unhappiness has gained enough momentum for members of parliament publicly to challenge the government with criticism.
"The colors of a child's magic markers do not suit the city, we call on the government to seek professional help," Pikhria Chikhradze, a member of the national legislature, said in April.
But officials remain unwavering in their mission to make Bush feel comfortable.
A city official said Tbilisi's communal services have teamed up to fix the road leading from the airport and are concentrating on planting new trees in the city's parks. Painting work, including that of City Hall, goes on both night and day.
"We're not sure Bush will actually visit city hall, but the renovation won't hurt," the official, Gigi Akhvlediani said.
Saakashvili, the man who led Georgia's rose revolution, brushed off the criticism, offering his own assessment of Tbilisi's new look.
"I like the colors of a fanned peacock's tail," he said.

05/05/2005 12:19 GMT