Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.)
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili on Friday appointed new governors in nine of the country’s regions.
The new governors are Irakli Shiolashvili, lawyer, in Kakheti, Zaza Meparishvili, engineer and lawyer, in Imereti, Zurab Rusishvili, economist and financial analyst, in Shida Kartli, Giorgi Mghebrishvili , a lawyer in Kvemo Kartli; Levan Shonia, former head of a regional police department, in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Nugzar Kipiani, director, in Mtskheta Mtianeti, Akaki Machutadze, economist, in Samtskhe Javakheti, Giorgi Chkhaidze, economist, in Guria and Parmen Margvelidze, economist, in Racha-Lechkhum-Kvemo Svaneti.
Gharibashvili gave a positive evaluation of each of the new governors as he presented them and congratulated them on being appointed.
Before the presidential election on October 2013, it was the prerogative of the president to appoint governors in the regions. Not only the governors appointed by former president Mikheil Saakashvili resigned a few days before the inauguration of current president Giorgi Margvelashvili, but also the staff at the presidential administration and the secretary of the Security Council – all members of the National Movement.
Former governor of Mtksheta-Mtianeti, Khatuna Ochiauri, said after leaving that their decision was logic because all the governors were appointed from the ruling party.
“We were Mikheil Saakashvili’s representatives in the regions. It is quite logical when Mikheil Saakashvili leaves, we left our posts,” she said.
After the presidential election, a new constitution came into force which reduced the power of the president and increased the power of the prime minister, and it became the right of the PM to appoint governors.
The government has already approved all nine governors in Georgia.
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