TBILISI, February 1. /TASS/. Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has become the head of the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party, while former party chairman Irakli Kobakhidze has become a candidate for the temporarily vacant prime minister’s seat, according to political analysts, who say the reshuffle is linked to this autumn’s parliamentary elections in the South Caucasus country.
TASS has assembled the key takeaways about developments in Georgia.
Reshuffle not unexpected
At the Georgian Dream party congress on February 1, Garibashvili was unanimously confirmed as the party's leader. Kobakhidze, who has become a candidate for prime minister, has already announced that he will only replace the defense minister in the new government that he is likely to head.
The reshuffle came as no surprise as, according to the pro-government Imedi TV channel, the decision was made at a meeting of the ruling party's political council on January 24. On January 29, Garibashvili confirmed that he was leaving the government and had been asked to head the party.
Power broker seen behind the scenes
The decision to carry out the reshuffle clearly originated with billionaire businessman, Georgian Dream founder and former Prime Minister (2012-2013) Bidzina Ivanishvili, who recently returned to the political arena after a three-year hiatus, political analyst Vakhtang Maisaya said. According to the expert, the ruling party's charter was amended "for a reason," as it now bestows Ivanishvili with exclusive authority to nominate the party’s candidate for prime minister.
Shortly after the billionaire's comeback into politics, Danish Ambassador to Tbilisi Anne Torf Sorensen was summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry following an article in which she called Ivanishvili "an oligarch who built his fortune in Russia in the 1990s" and reiterated criticism of Tbilisi for pursuing a "Russia-friendly policy." Sorensen's publication evoked a sharp reaction from the Georgian authorities.
Reasons behind reshuffle
Georgia, which has been granted EU candidate status, must carry out specific actions for formal accession negotiations with the EU to begin. Holding fair and transparent parliamentary elections is among the EU's membership requirements.
Georgian Dream should prepare for a "convincing victory" in October, Garibashvili said, commenting on his resignation as prime minister. According to him, the party's political council offered him the opportunity to vacate the prime minister’s chair by this summer, when the election campaign kicks off, but he opted to resign earlier.
Political analyst Maisaya linked the reshuffle to "equalizing the balance of power" in the "clan-based internal confrontation." According to him, the group surrounding the outgoing prime minister began "monopolizing political power," so the decision was made to "suspend" it. In addition, Georgian Dream can be assured it is making a safe bet on Kobakhidze as prime minister because he is experienced in leading election campaigns, the expert believes.
Political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze believes that the emergence of intra-party groups was one of the reasons for Ivanishvili's return to politics. In his opinion, the swap at the top will do nothing to change Georgia's foreign policy, although Kobakhidze's diplomatic style may help to ease Tbilisi’s relations with Europe.