Georgia: President Margvelashvili is accumulating political capital

On 29 April 2015, the Georgian sports minister Levan Kipiani handed in his resignation. Since he was the seventh minister in the government that has been replaced since its establishment in October 2012, the Georgian constitution requires a motion of confidence in the government be voted on.

On 30 April 2015, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced the composition of a new Georgian Dream government (besides the sports minister, the ministers for defence and environmental protection were replaced) which, according to coalition politicians, was to be approved by parliament the same day. However, President Giorgi Margvelashvili unexpectedly postponed it using the seven day term granted in the constitution.

This made it impossible to immediately vote on the composition of the government in parliament. The president criticised hasty actions of the coalition aimed at reshuffling the government and the unexpected change in the position of the defence minister (Tina Khidasheli is set to become the new defence minister). The president deemed such frequent replacements (this had been the third change in this position in six months) in the position of the defence minister as detrimental to Georgia’s international image.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The political crisis in Georgia: which way next? http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-political-crisis-in-georgia-which-way-next/

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