Cabinet Faces Confidence Vote
It is widely expected that the reshuffled Georgian cabinet will win a confidence vote during the parliamentary session on June 10. However, a small opposition faction, composed of members from New Rights-Industrialists, intends to vote against the cabinet.
Along with the consideration of the reshuffled cabinet, the lawmakers will also discuss the candidacy for the General Prosecutor?s position, which is a separate position and must be voted on individually.
The proposed changes in the cabinet occur mainly within the security and defense agencies.
Giorgi Baramidze, 36, who was Interior Minister, will take over the Defense Minister?s position, replacing Gela Bezhuashvili, 37. The latter will become Secretary of the National Security Council.
Vano Merabishvili, 36, ex-Secretary of the National Security Council, became Security Minister and replaced Zurab Adeishvili, 32, who, in turn, will become the General Prosecutor.
Former General Prosecutor Irakli Okruashvili, 31, will lead the Interior Ministry.
Working within the capacity of his newly designated post of Security Minister, Vano Merabishvili will also perform the duties of the Vice Premier, which mainly entails the coordination of activities within the law enforcement and security agencies.
No other changes have been proposed for the cabinet. Kakha Bendukidze, who has been recently granted Georgian citizenship but still retains the Russian passport, is nominated as the Economy Minister.
Salome Zourabichvili, who like Bendukidze has dual citizenship ? Georgian-France, will retain the Foreign Minister?s position.
Other members of the cabinet are as follows: Zurab Noghaideli – Finance Minister; Nika Gilauri ? Energy Minister; Giorgi Papuashvili ? the Justice Minister; Eter Astemirova – the Minister for Refugees and Accommodation; Kakha Lomaia ?the Minister for Education and Science; Lado Tchipashvili ? the Health Care Minister; Davit Shervashidze ? the Minister of Agriculture; Tamar Lebanidze ? the Minister of the Environment; Goka Gabashvili ? the Minister for Culture and Sport and Tamar Sulukhia ? the Minister of Infrastructure.
However, structural changes are anticipated to occur in the government within the next few weeks, resulting change will dictate that the Infrastructure Ministry will merge with the Economy Ministry. This change means that Tamar Sulukhia is expected to become Deputy Economy Minister following the reforms.
Four State Ministers are also members of the cabinet. Tamar Beruchashvili is the State Minister in charge of Georgia?s integration into the European structures; Guram Absandze is responsible for the national accord policy; Jambul Bakuradze is in charge of development of the small and medium business.
The fourth State Minister, Goga Khaindrava, is in charge of conflict resolutions and talks with the Abkhaz and South Ossetian sides.