Ruling GDDG Party Elects PM as its Chairman, Adds New Members to Governing Body

PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili addresses ruling GDDG party’s fourth congress at the Tbilisi Sports Palace, May 14, 2016. Photo: PM’s office

Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) ruling party elected PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who was the only candidate, as its new chairman at a congress on May 14.

GDDG left most of incumbent members of the political council, party’s main governing body, unchanged, but increased number of seats to 21 by bringing new members on board.

Among the newcomers in the ruling party’s political council are: Davit Bakradze, the State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration; Zviad Gonadze, Deputy Foreign Minister since January 2016, who served as head of the State Service Bureau since late 2012; Irakli Kobakhidze, who is GDDG’s executive secretary since early 2015; Roman Kakulia, head of the EU assistance coordination department at the State Ministry of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration; Sophio Kiladze, deputy rector of the Police Academy, who previously served as head of international legal cooperation division at the Interior Ministry; Akaki Zoidze, who  served as Deputy State Minister for two years till late November 2003 in charge of health and social issues; Mamuka Mdinaradze, a practicing lawyer; Irina Pruidze, chairperson at the Eurasia Regional Committee of the World Scout Movement; she was with the New Rights Party almost a decade ago.

Kvirikashvili’s long-time friend Davit Koguashvili has also joined the party and its political council; along with Kvirikashvili, Koguashvili was a member of parliament in 1999-2004 with the New Rights Party. Koguashvili was briefly in ex-defense minister Irakli Okruashvili party, when it was founded in 2007, but he has not been involved in politics since then.

Most of the current members of the ruling party’s political council retained their seats: Kakha Kaladze, Energy Minister and GDDG’s general secretary; MP Giorgi Volski, who chairs GDDG’s parliamentary faction; MP Manana Kobakhidze, parliament’s vice speaker; MP Eka Beselia, chairperson of the human rights parliamentary committee; MP Irakli Sesiashvili, chairman of the defense and security committee in the parliament; ; MP Zviad Kvachantiradze; MP Gedevan Popkhadze; MP Irakli Tripolski; MP Temur Tchkuaseli; Davit Saganelidze, a former MP who is now head of the state investment fund, Partnership Fund, and Nodar Khaduri, the Finance Minister.

Addressing the congress, held in the Tbilisi Sports Palace, PM Kvirikashvili said that GDDG should become “a modern, European style party.”

“The Georgian politics needs new energy and new vision. Our party meets new agenda offered by today’s realities with renewed team,” Kvirikashvili said. “Soon you will see lots of many new people in [party] ranks, many professionals who will bring new, completely different and positive dynamic not only into our party but also into the Georgian politics.”
 
Founder of GDDG party and former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili was also present at the congress, along with Kvirikashvili’s predecessor on party chairmanship and ex-PM Irakli Garibashvili.

From left to right: Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze; PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili; ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, and ex-PM Irakli Garibashvili at the fourth congress of the ruling GDDG party at the Tbilisi Sports Palace, May 14, 2016. Photo: PM’s office

In a brief comment to journalists at the congress, Ivanishvili said that he will release a written statement in a week that will detail “our plans, and what we have done.” He also said that he was not involved in selecting new member of the GDDG’s political council and does not even know them.

In an interview with Tbilisi-based Imedi TV later on Saturday, PM Kvirikashvili said that Ivanishvili had no say in selecting new members of the ruling party’s governing body.
 
‘Strict Party Discipline’

After noting importance of democratic governance within the party, he also stressed the need for having “strict party discipline.”

“Party’s vision over issues of vital importance for the country should be shared by all of its members; all of us should respect this vision and obey decisions of the team,” Kvirikashvili said. “We should demonstrate to everyone that we are united over clearly defined aspirations and common vision over domestic and foreign policy.”

It has always been an issue for GDDG party, but it became even bigger problem recently after a senior GDDG lawmaker, Tamaz Mechiauri, spoke out against Georgia’s declared policy of NATO integration. Although Kvirikashvili distanced himself from those remarks, his reaction was criticized by the Republican Party, which is in a coalition with GDDG in the government, as not strong enough. After that MP Mechiauri continued his anti-Western rhetoric, triggering some political analysts to suggest that Kvirikashvili was failing to call the shots in the party he was going to chair. Georgian daily Rezonansi ran a front-page article on May 11 headlined Georgian “Dream’s Reins Out of PM’s Hands”. On May 12 PM Kvirikashvili said that if elected as GDDG’s new leader, “there will not be those people in the team” who are questioning Georgia’s pro-Western foreign policy course.

In the speech at the party congress the PM reiterated: “Our course is towards the EU and NATO and we will not turn away from this path.”

In an interview with Imedi TV later same day Kvirikashvili said that “there should be no skepticism” about Georgia’s NATO integration among those people who will be united in “new parliamentary team” – referring to GDDG’s party list of MP candidates in the October elections.

“That is the goal, which requires very bold and decisive steps and any kind of hesitation will be counterproductive,” the PM said. 

On relations with Moscow he said in the speech at the party congress: “We are trying to bring Georgia-Russia relations out of the deadlock and we are taking steps to restore trade, economic and humanitarian relations. But normalization of relations will not happen at the expense of Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity – that will never be exchanged for anything.”

“Our main goal is de-occupation of Georgian territories and reunification of the country,” he said, adding that through further democratic and economic development Georgia should become attractive for “our Abkhaz and Ossetian compatriots.”

‘We will Win Majority’

Addressing the congress, Kvirikashvili said that he hopes the election campaign will be carried out in “healthy competition, instead of confrontation.”

“We will hold these elections through observance of all the democratic standards,” he said.

“As the Prime Minister I will secure level playing field for all the political parties.”

“As the chairman of GDDG party, I am convinced that we will win a convincing victory in the upcoming elections,” he said.

In an interview with the Imedi TV later on the same day he said: “We have a realistic perception that the GDDG will have no problem of winning majority in the Parliament.”

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)