Georgia will soon have new General Prosecutor
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Monday, November 11
From November 17, Georgia will have a new Chief Prosecutor, Otar Partskhaladze. He was nominated by prime minister nominee, Irakli Garibashvili, who is currently the Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA).
Partskhaladze, 37, served as the head of the Finance Ministry’s investigative unit in the Shida Kartli region last year before becoming deputy head of this service in January 2013. Then he was promoted as the head of the ministry’s investigative service. The Finance Ministry’s investigative service, informally known as the financial police, is in charge of probing into financial wrongdoing.
Gharibashvili confirmed that Partskhaladze will take the post of prosecutor, on November 8, the day after Archil Kbilashvili declared he would retire. Kbilashvili said that he planned to continue his work in the civil sector together with the current Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who also plans to resign and move to the civil sector in a few days after the inauguration of Georgia`s new president.
Gharibashvili believes that Partskhaladze will be an effective chief prosecutor. “He will have a very effective team, comprised of young and experienced prosecutors. I am sure that he will be a very good chief prosecutor,” stated Gharibashvili.
Members of the United National Movement (UNM) are not pleased with the new candidate. UNM representative Tinatin Bokuchava said that this is a person who “tore away the minaret in the Adigeni region and caused conflict among the local residents,” stated Bokuchava.
Giorgi Baramidze, Member of Parliament minority, thinks that the only reason Gharibashvili offered Partskhaladze the post is not professionalism, but because of their close personal relationship.
Irakli Sesiashvili, Member of the Parliament majority, said that for UNM there will always be something doubtful in the Georgian Dream members’ decisions, because criticism is the only thing they can do now.
Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukiani must approve Partskhaladze on the post. “I trust the new PM’s decision, I do not know Partskhaladze personally, but if Gharibashvili trusts him, I have no motivation to have any doubts,” stated Tsulukiani.
Political analystt, Khatuna Lagazidze, thinks that those changes aim at making the Prosecutor’s Office more effective. “Those changes are good for the restoration of justice,” stated Lagazidze.
