New Chief of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces appointed
By Keti Arjevanidze
Wednesday, October 10
President Saakashvili appointed Giorgi Kalandadze as the chief of the Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces on October 8. Kalandadze replaced Lieutenant General Devi Chankotadze on the post.
Brigadier-General Kalandadze, 32, was commander of the Fourth Infantry Brigade from 2007-2009; he was promoted to the post of deputy commander of the land forces in 2009 and a year later became first deputy Chief of Joint Staff, at the same time served as acting commander of the land forces before 2011. According to the analyst, the UNM as a political power wants to strengthen
Military analyst, Giorgi Tavdgiridze, estimates this fact as a political decision; he thinks that the appointment of Kalandadze on this post serves the UNM’s political interests.
Tavdgiridze thinks that this decision will not make any disruption within joint forces, he added that President could be criticized for appointing “such a young person to this post.”
“The Georgian Dream should not make a tragedy from this decision, because now in the country there is not any military operation,” Tavdgiridze suggests.
Member of Georgian Dream, analyst Mamuka Areshidze, doesn’t welcome Kalandadze’s appointment on the post of chief of joint staff of the Georgian armed forces; he thinks that Kalandadze was appointed to the position because he is the brother of the Deputy Foreign Minister, Nino Kalandadze. He thinks that by this decision, Saakashvili wants to demonstrate his power again.
Areshidze also added that after a week, Irakli Alasania, the candidate on the Defence Minister’s post, will submit to the ministry and he will change the decision.
The Georgian media speculates that the Georgian Dream will review the candidacy on the post of chief of joint staff of the Georgian armed forces and Vakhtang Kapanadze might be sent there. Kapanadze participated in Abkhazia war, at different times he was a head of brigade and head of general staff.