Opposition will not support new Cabinet of Ministers
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, December 29
The Georgian parliamentary opposition parties, the Free Democrats (FD) and the United National Movement (UNM), have stated that they will not support the new Cabinet of Minister’s presented by the majority candidate for the post of Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikahsvili, a couple of days ago.
Kvirikahsvili, who was named by the majority to the post following the unexpected resignation of Irakli Garibashvili on December 23, says that there will be only one new candidate in the Cabinet consisting of 19 ministers.
As Kvirikashvili held the post of the Foreign Minister of Georgia before being nominated to the position of Prime Minister, he named Mikheil Janelidze, the deputy Foreign Minister, as his choice to replace him as Foreign Minister.
Despite there being no reshuffle, future changes are not excluded in the Cabinet if Parliament confirms the new Prime Minister and the Cabinet, Kvirikahsvili said.
The Free Democrats faction will not support the new government. As one of the Party leaders, MP Irakli Chikovani, has stated, there is nothing new in the new membership of the government and they will not vote for them.
“We have questions on acute issues that the country is facing,” Chikovani said.
The UNM, like the Free Democrats party, will not show confidence towards the new government; as UNM member Davit Darchiashvili said, “nothing is changing in the Cabinet.”
“These people are associated with an economic decrease which is the primary responsibility of the government. Apart from this, these people still fulfill Bidzina Ivanishvili’s wishes,” Darchiashvili said, adding Garibashvili’s ‘disappearance’ was Ivanishvili’s desire.
According to relevant procedures, the candidate for Prime Minister and the updated Cabinet of Ministers needs to be confirmed by a majority of Parliament Members, meaning they must gain at least 76 votes out of the 150-seat Parliament.
The GD coalition holds 85 seats in the legislative body.
If the Parliament of Georgia failed to approve the candidate for Prime Minister or the updated Cabinet of Ministers three times, the country’s President has the right to dissolve Parliament and order snap Parliamentary Elections.
