EX-MP of GD: Former PM Kvirikashvili had less influence than Parliament Speaker
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, March 11
Former member of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Zviad Kvachantiradze stated that ex-PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili had less influence in the party than Parliament Speaker and then Executive Secretary of the party – Irakli Kobakhidaze.
Kvachantiradze made the statement in his interview with TV Pirveli, adding the work of the GD party is controlled by Kobakhidze even now.
"When Giorgi Kvirikashvili was PM, elected chairman of the party and was a member of the political council, the party work and the political council work were not directly controlled by him…But it was not Kvirikashvili’s fault,” the MP said.
He added that nowadays the GD is being controlled by the Parliament Speaker Kobakhidze, who assumed the office in November 2016.
Kvirikashvili was Prime Minister of Georgia from 30 December 2015 to 13 June 2018. He resigned on June 13, 2018, after a disagreement with the ruling Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili
On 20 June 2018, Mamuka Bakhtadze, who previously served as Kvirikashvili's Minister of Finance, was approved by the Georgian Parliament as the PM of the country.
As for Kvachantiradze, he left the GD party in late February, a week after other GD MPs Eka Beselia, Levan Gogichaishvili and Gedevan Popkhadze quit the majority.
He noted that the controversial issue of appointment of judges and the recent developments around it had made him quit the majority.
“My decision is not pleasant, but I think it is the right decision before my compatriots, my friends. However, the court issue was one of the biggest red lines that pushed me to take this step," he explained.
