Domestic Reaction to PM Garibashvili’s Resignation

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili officially resigned from his post on January 29.

Earlier in the day, local media reported that Irakli Garibashvili and Irakli Kobakhidze were expected to switch the posts of Prime Minister and Chair of the Georgian Dream party. The cabinet reshuffle is also expected as the Georgian Dream party holds its Congress on February 1.

Civil.ge has collected reactions from across the Georgian political spectrum to Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation:

Ruling Party

Archil Talakvadze, Deputy Speaker of Parliament: “Like the whole team, I would like to thank Irakli Garibashvili for his work. In three years, he has managed to achieve difficult and important goals. These were Georgia’s progress towards European integration, ensuring economic development, reforms carried out in the regions, infrastructure projects and, in general, the renewal of the country’s strategic infrastructure”.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, GD faction leader: “The meeting of the Political Council was held on January 24, where we discussed the issues that the society and the media have received today. Among them was an offer from the Political Council that Irakli Garibashvili should stay in office before the beginning of the active electoral phase, and after that, this change should have been made on some kind of, let’s say, rotation principle… But he [Garibashvili] made this decision himself because, as he said, the new prime minister should have the opportunity to use all this time to form a new team, visions and approaches…”.

Opposition

Paata Manjgaladze, “Strategy Aghmashenebeli”: “Georgian Dream” had to admit the economic collapse in the country, and now it offers us another facade change… Now they tell us that Kobakhidze will take the driver’s seat and Garibashvili will take a back seat. It is a sort of a game… Of course, for [either of] Iraklis, something will change, but nothing will change for the people. Even worse, because Kobakhidze has never had anything to do with the economy, jobs, or employment… Bidzina Ivanishvili is having fun… he needs this game for the elections to fool the people as if the new broom sweeps clean, but Kobakhidze is an old broom”.

Levan Khabeishvili, “United National Movement”: “These changes have nothing to do with the well-being of our citizens… All this is connected with the so-called political intrigues of Bidzina Ivanishvili, and we should well understand that today’s government does not serve the people; it is motivated to make Bidzina Ivanishvili richer, to make themselves richer, to build new residences, villas, not to serve the people.”

Teona Akubardia, parliamentary faction “Reform Group”: “Changing the pawns on the chessboard is the tactic that Bidzina Ivanishvili has used before to win the game, and he has always done it successfully.”

Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of “Lelo”: “No matter who Bidzina appoints as Prime Minister, he will not be able to save the sinking Russian ship of the “[Georgian] Dream.” Garibashvili should sit in the dock, not in the chair of the party leader. Bidzina [Ivanishvili] has confirmed [by replacing him] that he is the main figure of corruption, nepotism, and unsuccessful governance. [Ivanishvili] was making all the decisions before and he does so now. Georgian Dream knows that its days are numbered. Society wants real changes. The Georgian people will soon get rid of the government that serves Russian interests.”

Beka Liluashvili, “Sakartvelostvis” [For Georgia]: “The government of this country is in the hands of Ivanishvili. It does not matter at all who will be the voice of this government, who will be the avatar, be it Kobakhidze or Garibashvili”.

On December 30, Bidzina Ivanishvili officially returned to politics for the third time, becoming “honorary chairman” of the “Georgian Dream” party. Speaking at the GD party congress, Ivanishvili said that the reason for his return was “to protect the excessively strong team from human temptation.”

In his first comments after the party congress on December 30, Ivanishvili said that the country’s Prime Minister would not be replaced. Ivanishvili also said at that time, there would be no changes in the cabinet or within the ruling party.

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