Adjara Supreme Council Approves Region’s New Government

The newly-elected Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara confirmed the region’s new government with 14 votes on December 19.

Zurab Pataradze, the head of Adjara’s government, presented his four-member cabinet on December 14 for approval. The cabinet needed only 11 votes to pass the assembly confidence.

“I am sure that many important projects will be implemented in our region in coming four years. These are: economic, social and infrastructural projects, healthcare [initiatives],” Zurab Pataradze told reporters after the confirmation.

Opposition members did not participate in the voting. UNM lawmakers criticized the new cabinet of failing to deliver concrete action plans and accused Pataradze of picking the cabinet members based on their political loyalty to the ruling party.

Two out of the four ministerial portfolios in Pataradze’s cabinet will be filled with newcomers.

Zaal Mikeladze, a local coordinator for Georgia’s universal healthcare program, will be promoted as the minister of healthcare and social protection of Adjara. Inga Shamilishvili, an associate professor at Batumi State University, will become the minister of education, culture and sports.

Lasha Komakhidze and Ramaz Bolkvadze will retain their posts as the ministers of agriculture and finance and economy respectively.

Zurab Pataradze, former ambassador to Kazakhstan, was first confirmed as new head of local government on July 15, replacing Archil Khabadze, who stepped down on July 6, three months before the elections.

Pataradze was re-nominated by President Margvelashvili on November 29 and re-confirmed by the legislative assembly on December 5, two months after the region’s supreme council elections held on October 8, simultaneously with Georgia’s general elections for the Parliament.

The Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia has 14 lawmakers in the 21-member assembly, the United National Movement has five members, while the Alliance of Patriots and Nino Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement have one lawmaker each.

The newly-elected Supreme Council held its inaugural session on November 28 and elected GDDG’s Davit Gabaidze as the new chairman.

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