Irakli Gharibashvili named new Prime Minister
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, November 4
Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA) Irakli Gharibashvili was named as the future Prime Minister of Georgia. Outgoing PM Bidzina Ivanishvili said on November 1st that Gharibashvili worked miracles at the MIA and will be able to deal with all the challenges of the new position.
“We have made an absolutely good decision and the whole majority accepted the candidacy,” Ivanishvili stressed, adding that Gharibashvili has a good traditional family and respectable past.
Gharibashvili is ready to continue the process of building the country and all the profitable intentions initiated by Ivanishvili.
All the comments made by the coalition members characterized Gharibashvili as a strong leader and one who possesses good managerial skills.
“The coalition was unanimous over Gharibashvili’s candidacy. He managed to take responsibility during a very complicated period,” Parliament Chair Davit Usupashvili underscored.
State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Aleksi Petriashvili, stated that Gharibashvili’s main positive is his team-working ability and according to him, Gharibashvili will be a good Prime Minister.
Defence Minister Irakli Alasania called Ivanishvili’s decision “totally positive,” suggesting that Gharibashvili is a patriot and eager to solve important issues.
“We will all stand with Gharibashvili,” Alasania said.
The United National Movement (UNM) will not support the Gharibashvili’s candidacy on the PM’s post. Majority representative Goka Gabashvili made a statement concerning the issue. He stressed that Gharibashvili failed to investigate even those crimes which were taken on his personal control.
“The only thing he managed to do at the ministry was appointing his relatives to high positions,” Gabashvili stated. He said that Gharibashvili has no vision on how to address the economic problems in the country.
Fellow UNM member Zurab Japaridze shared Gabashvili’s view on nepotism and stressed that he could remember “only negative things regarding Gharibashvili.” Japaridze mentioned that Gharibashvili has experience in banking issues.
“However, the experience does not indicate that he will be good at solving of economic problems,” Japaridze said.
The United States Ambassador to Georgia, Richard Norland, congratulated Gharibashvili on his new position. Norland stated that the U.S. embassy was actively collaborating with Gharibashvili during his time as the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Analyst Kakha Kakhishvili believes that Ivanishvili chose such a figure, that has no political background and has never been affiliated with any political party.
“Whether Gharibashvili will be a good Prime Minister or not will depend on whom he relies on in the decision-making process.
Analyst Khatuna Lagazidze thinks that the “only minus” of Gharibashvili on the position is his young age (Gharibashvili is 31 years old).
“Gharibashvili’s age has many pros, one of the positives of the age is non-compromising attitudes. However, Gharibashvili should take the UNM’s negative experience into account and power should not become tempting for him,” Lagazidze stated.
3 weeks after the new President’s inauguration, the president-elect Giorgi Margvelashvili will present Gharibashvili’s candidacy at the parliament for confirmation. If his candidacy is approved, Gharibashvili will name the cabinet of ministers.
The coalition has voiced a new initiative as well. Gharibashvili might also be elected as the chair of the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia on November 24. This is the party within the Georgian Dream coalition, which is currently chaired by Bidzina Ivanishvili.
