Cabinet Wins Confidence Vote

The Prime Minister vows to increase budgetary expenditures by up to USD 100 million in July.

The proposed new Georgian cabinet won the confidence vote during the parliamentary session on June 10, with a 150-6 victory in parliament.  This is the second cabinet to be voted on, and approved, during the last four months. A small opposition faction, composed of members from the New Rights-Industrialists party, voted against the cabinet.

Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, who had initially presented this reshuffled cabinet to the lawmakers, said that the changes, which mainly occurred within the security and defense agencies, would “further increase the flexibility and effectiveness of the government.”

The priorities of the reshuffled cabinet have not changed much since the first version of this cabinet, composed of the same members, was presented to parliament for approval on February 17, 2004, again by Mr. Zhvania.

“Economic growth, reforms in the defense and security structures, which include the reduction in the number of staff and bureaucracy, will be our main goal,” Zurab Zhvania told MPs on June 10.

He hailed the economic achievements of the government and said that the cabinet will present a draft to the Parliament, sometime in July, which will envision an increase of budgetary expenditures by 180-200 million Lari. “This has become possible after the increase of budgetary revenues,” Zurab Zhvania said.

The Prime Minister reiterated sentiments voiced by the newly appointed Economy Minister, Kakha Bendukidze, who advocates an ultra-liberal economic policy, and believes that Georgia should “vigorously launch the privatization of state-run enterprises.”

Kakha Bendukidze said on June 9 that “everything should be privatized, including ports [in Batumi and Poti] excluding only the railway, the gas pipelines and the Enguri hydro power station [at the administrative border between breakaway Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia].”

Zurab Zhvania also hailed ‘the economic team’ within the government and said “despite certain disputes over the particular issues between Zurab Nogaideli [the Finance Minister] and Kakha Bendukidze [the Economy Minister], they both advocate liberal economic policy.”

No new candidates were involved in the changes, which occurred in 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.

The remaining ministers, whose positions were unaffected by this recent change are as follows:

Salome Zourabichvili–Foreign Minister
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
Tamar Sulukhia – the Minister of Infrastructure
 
However, structural changes are anticipated to occur in the government next week, and the resulting change may dictate that the Infrastructure Ministry will merge with the Economy Ministry. This change means that Tamar Sulukhia will become the Deputy Economy Minister, following the expected 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.

The fifth State Minister Zurab Melikishvili is in charge of local self-governance and regional policy.

The Parliament also approved on June 10 Zurab Adeishvili, former Security Minister as General Prosecutor. Zurab Adeishvili told the lawmakers at the parliamentary session that fight against corruption would be his priority.