Georgia appoints new Prime Minister
- 5 February, 01:18
Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, Irakli Kobakhidze, has been appointed as the country’s new Prime Minister, following Irakli Gharibashvili’s abrupt resignation on Monday. The outgoing Prime Minister Gharibashvili confirmed Kobakhizde’s appointment at a party conference on Thursday.
Kobakhidze, who is expected to receive parliamentary confirmation in the coming days, would become the seventh leader of the government since Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream coalition assumed power in 2012.
The outgoing Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili will replace Ivanishvili as the Georgian Dream party. The reshuffle comes amid the upcoming parliamentary election. There will be no reshuffle within the government cabinet following Kobakhize’s appointment as the Prime Minister. The only exception is Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze who will be replaced by Georgian Dream PM and Vice Speaker, Irakli Chikovani following his resignation. Irakli Kobakhidze held the position of parliament chair from 2016 to 2019. He resigned amidst widespread anti-government protests sparked by the controversial invitation of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov to address parliament in Russia from the speaker’s tribune. In 2021, he assumed the role of chair within the ruling party.
Garibashvili announced his decision to resign in January, also revealing that he would take up Kobakhidze’s current position as chair of the party. He came to power in November 2013 after replacing Ivanishvili who abruptly resigned after around 25 months.
