 |
| Zurab Zhvania becomes State Minister |
The ‘velvet revolution’ leaders increase influence as two opposition leaders and one their close ally take over the key ministerial positions.
The Parliament unanimously approved on November 27 Zurab Zhvania, leader of the United Democrats party as the State Minister, while Giorgi Baramidze of the United Democrats takes Interior Minister’s position and Zurab Nogaideli becomes the Finance Minister.
They will remain in office at least before the presidential elections, scheduled for January 4. All three candidacies were proposed by Nino Burjanadze, the interim President, who took over the office after Eduard Shevardnadze resigned as a result of the bloodless revolution on November 23.
Zhvania said, while addressing the Parliament after appointment that he has to deal with the difficult heritage of the previous government.
“Budget is on the brink of collapse, we have grave situation in the pension fund, energy sphere; we have difficulties in the regions, bread price increases. I and all others who will take posts in the interim government should deal with all these problems,” Zurab Zhvania said.
He also pledged that the authorities would guarantee security of the supporters of the previous government and ex-President Shevardnadze.
“We will ensure security, rule of law and order. And no one should even try to undermine the stability in the country, which some people want to make. I will not say who these people are now,” Zhvania added.
“We will do our best to secure free and fair elections as well. This is a historic moment for Georgia. Now we have a real chance to knock at the doors of the Euro-Atlantic structures,” Zhvania added.
Zurab Zhvania is the chairman of the United Democrats party and was one of the leaders of the protest rallies, which led Shevardnadze out of office.
Zurab Zhvania was the Parliamentary Chairman in 1995-2001 and one of the leaders of Eduard Shevardnadze’s Citizens’ Union of Georgia party before 2000, when he finally broke up with Shevardnadze and formed the opposition party United Democrats.
He resigned from the Parliamentary Chairmanship in 2001 as a protest to Shevardnadze’s government.
It is anticipated that after the constitutional amendments, which the opposition intends to introduce in case they will secure majority in the new parliamentary elections, Zurab Zhvania will take the Prime Minister’s post.
As a result of the power-sharing policy agreement reached by the ‘velvet revolution’ leaders, Mikheil Saakashvili of National Movement will run for the presidency, Nino Burjanadze will lead the opposition coalition and consequently will become the Parliamentary Chairperson and Zurab Zhvania will be in the Prime Minister’s position.
 |
| Zurab Nogaideli vows fiscal stability. |
Nogaideli said while addressing the lawmakers “achieving fiscal stability” will be his goal. With some 190 million Lari budgetary shortfall Nogaideli will faces pension and salary backlog problems.
As the observers say the opposition’s most important success was to endorse its associate on the Interior Minister’s position.
Giorgi Baramidze of United Democrats and former chairman of the parliamentary committee on security and defense will have to deal with wide-spread corruption, which persists in the Interior Ministry and ensure security of upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
It is the first time when the politician becomes Georgia’s Interior Minister. Giorgi Baramidze has never worked in the law enforcement agencies before.
 |
| Baramidze: to reduce curroption is a top priority. |
He also said that the top priority now is to ensure security of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections and develop accurate voter lists. “First of all the ministry will recheck the voter lists,” Giorgi Baramidze added.
The mess in the voter lists, which was developed by the Interior Ministry and the previous Central Election Commission, caused numerous irregularities during the November 2 parliamentary elections, as a result thousands of voters were deprived to cast ballot.