“For Georgia” MP Leaves Parliament and Party

On 6 February, Giorgi Khojevanishvili, a member of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s ‘For Georgia’ party and the majoritarian MP for Gori and Kaspi, announced that he’d be quitting politics to work in the private sector.

Khojevanishvili announced his decision in a post on Facebook, citing a “high sense of responsibility towards his electorate”. He said: “Unfortunately, taking into account today’s political realities, I am unable to fulfil my pre-election promises, which is my direct responsibility”.

Khojevanishvili said that for him, “serving the interests of the people has always been a priority” and that a position was never an end in itself. He added: “I hope that Georgia will move forward and soon become a full member of European structures”.

Khojevanishvili was elected in 2020 to the 10th convocation of the Parliament as a majority MP from Gori-Kaspi for Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia. He had previously served as governor of Shida Kartli. In 2021, Khojevanishvili left the GD along with several other MPs, after the former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned and founded a new party, “For Georgia”. After his departure from Parliament, by-elections will be held. According to Article 198 of the Georgian Electoral Code, by-elections should be held in October of the same year if an MP elected from a majority constituency is dismissed from Parliament in the period from 15 January to 15 June; and in April if he/she is dismissed from 15 June to 15 January.

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