Who will be the next PM?

Sunday's election revealed the President of Georgia. The public intrigue now turns to who will become the most powerful person in the country. As announced, current PM Bidzina Ivanishvili will resign after November 24.

The suspense began several months ago when Ivanishvili revealed his decision to resign some time after the October 27th presidential election. As such, he has proven to be a man of his word. However, he said that he would keep the name of the future PM confidential until he finally resigns.

Now the time is approaching; Georgia has a new president, and presumably, in a couple of weeks the country will have a new PM. Analysts, journalists, politicians and the population are left guessing. Some have even started betting. A few details about the future PM’s personality have become known to the public. Supposedly, the new PM will be a man. He will be from Ivanishvili’s close circle.

There are persistent rumors that the future PM will be one of the acting ministers. They are the Minister of Internal Affairs, Irakli Gharibashvili and the Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, Davit Sergeenko.

Presumably, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Ministers Gharibashvili and Sergeenko, as well as the Parliamentary Chairman Davit Usupashvili know who will be the next PM, but neither of them have made this information public.

Ivanishvili announced during Monday’s press conference held with the newly-elected president, that on Friday, November 1, he will meet the members of Georgian Dream’s political council and discuss the final version of who will be his successor. After that, on the same day, Ivanishvili will reveal his final decision to the public.

Ivanishvili has had contact with Sergeenko and Gharibashvili for some time now. Gharibahsvili was the head of Ivanishvili’s Cartu Foundation, while Sergneeko was the head of the hospital in Sachkhere, home town of Ivanishvili. However, neither of these candidates are the members of the political parties affiliated with the Georgian Dream coalition.

Both of these two are the ministers of Ivanishvili’s government and both of them achieved certain success in their fields. Sergeenko established and implemented general insurance system and increased social programs, while Gharibashvili managed to maintain the supremacy of law and order in the country, continued combating corruption and most importantly, he successfully implemented the process of the de-politization of police.

Analysts suggest that Gharibashvili will be the best PM, but the question arises, who will replace him on his position. It is easier to find a new healthcare minister in general, whereas Gharibashvili’s adequate substitute will be difficult to select.

So, on November 2, we will know the name of the new PM. On November 17, President Margvelashvili will be inaugurated. On November 24th Ivanishvili plans to resign from his position.

So, formally, the parliamentary majority has to identify the future PM and submit his name to the parliament. However, outgoing PM Ivanishvili will select (has already selected) the candidate and the parliament will certainly adopt this candidacy.

Some skeptical-minded analysts ask how Georgian Dream coalition members can obey the new PM having in mind the fact that Ivanishvili who has created this amalgamation will soon resign. There are other questions as well. What will Ivanishvili do after his resignation? Will he control the government, manage it, monitor it... observe it? What will be his legitimate status? How will he interfere in politics? Will the coalition members follow the former PM’s advice?