State Minister Slams Defense Minister, Speaks of Threat of Cabinet Split

Georgian State Minister in charge of Euro-Atlantic integration issues Giorgi Baramidze, who previously held the Defense Minister?s position, convened a press conference and dismissed current Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili?s statements that some defense officials ?pushed the army into a worse situation than it was before the revolution.?

Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said at a news briefing on January 4 that the situation involving a misappropriation of funds in the Defense Ministry is ?alarming? and requested the General Prosecutor?s Office bring criminal charges against several officials, including former Deputy Defense Minister Paata Gaprindashvili.

Speaking at the press conference, State Minister Giorgi Baramidze, who also serves as Georgia?s Vice-Premier, said that Okruashvili ?misinformed the public? and demonstrated charts, which, as he put it, proved that the alleged cases of misappropriation unveiled by Okruashvili were groundless.

Baramidze blamed Okruashvili of ?intrigues? against him and slammed the current Defense Minister for triggering a split in the government.

?I see a clear threat of a split in the government, which is inadmissible,? Giorgi Baramidze said.

The Georgian media have been speculating about a persisting disagreement between the so called ‘President Saakashvili team’, which includes Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili and Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, and the ‘Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania team’, which includes Giorgi Baramidze.

?Of course I always felt that this kind of disagreement existed, but I have never demonstrated it publicly and we should do our best to maintain the unity of the government,? Giorgi Baramidze said.