PM names new minister candidates
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, July 24
The Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili presented new cabinet members on July 22. He named all the candidates except the one for the ministry of culture. However, the candidate became known on July 23.
Through PM’s decision, seven ministers have been fired. But two of them from the previous cabinet, Sozar Subari, Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance and Elguja Khokrishvili, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development have been reshuffled into new roles within the cabinet and have been named for the positions of the Minister for Internally Displaced Persons and Accommodation and the Minister of Environment Protection respectively. According to the PM, the country is facing new challenges and new energy was required.
The names of the five candidates are: Minister of Corrections and legal Assistance-Giorgi Mghebrishvili, Minister of Agriculture- Otar Danelia, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development-Davit Shavliashvili, State Minister for Diaspora Affairs- Gela Dumbadze, Minister of Culture- Mikhail Giorgadze.
Mgebrishvili, 44, is a specialist of law. He was the Governor of the Kvemo Kartli region. The 34-year-old Otar Danelia is an international relations specialist and lawyer and has a passion for languages – he can speak Georgian, Russian, English and French. He had worked for local and international businesses. From 2013, Danelia worked at the Interior Ministry as the Deputy Director of the Finance and Economy Department until his appointment as head of the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Shavliashvili, 30, also has an educational background in law, graduating from Tbilisi State University. He worked as Chairman of the Roads Department in the Ministry of Infrastructure until raising his candidacy on the post. Dumbadze, 49, has a diplomatic background. Initially he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in various positions. Then he continued his activity in various embassies, including the Georgian Embassy in Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. From 2005 to 2007, Dumbadze returned to the Foreign Ministry and worked as the head of the Cultural Heritage and Diaspora Relations Division. Giorgadze is an economist by profession He also graduated from the Brussels Management School. Currently, he is general manager of the Eastern Promotion Company. The PM’s press service states that Giorgadze has extensive experience in the field of culture.
Members of the United National Movement (UNM) are unanimous that the changes are useless. MP Mikeil Machavariani states that the cabinet had problems in terms of its economic team and combating criminals.
“The reshuffle does not meet public demands, who want a better economic situation and less criminals in the country,” Machavariani states, noting that the Georgian Dream coalition has enough votes to confirm the new cabinet. “We are not going to vote for them,” Machavariani said.
Majority members state that the changes were required for the country’s future. MP Giorgi Volski claims that the opposition is mainly engaged with creating problems and destabilization in the country. “They are trying to create a horrible situation in Georgia,” Volski suggests.
Head of the Elections and Political Technologies Research Center, Kakha Kakhishvili states that the PM is empowering his own team. Analyst Khatuna Lagazidze believes that the changes are a “facade” and the high-ranking officials are mainly appointed through their level of obedience, rather than some other relevant feature. Analyst Gia Khukhashvili stresses that it was the first stage of the government meeting EU demands.
“Time will reveal whether the changes were motivated through private or state interests. 3-4 months after taking office will be enough to assess the success or failure of the new members,” Khukhashvili said.
After presenting the new cabinet list to parliament, the legislative body should confirm it within 7 days.
