Former Prime Minister of Georgia and ruling party chairman Irakli Garibashvili quits politics
Irakli Garibashbili quits politics
Former Georgian Prime Minister and current chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Garibashvili, is leaving politics to spend more time with his family. He announced his decision at a briefing held at the party’s headquarters on 25 April.
It is not yet known who will succeed Garibashvili as chairman of Georgian Dream.
At the same time, Garibashvili stated that he remains a “loyal soldier” of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s team — the founder, honorary chairman, and de facto leader of Georgian Dream.
I remain a loyal soldier of our country. I am a supporter of Bidzina Ivanishvili, and I am a devoted supporter, a soldier of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s team.
When asked by journalists whether there was a chance he might return to politics and form an opposition party, Garibashvili dismissed the idea as “pure speculation and deliberate disinformation.”
He said he has not yet decided what he will do next, but it is most likely to be in the private sector.
However, Garibashvili did not rule out a possible return to politics in the future.
Journalists noted that in his farewell speech, Garibashvili did not mention current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. There have long been rumours of a rift between the two.
However, Garibashvili responded to the suggestion by saying that Georgian Dream has many leaders, and he did not consider it appropriate to name each one individually.
Irakli Garibashvili has been a member of Georgian Dream since the party’s founding in 2012. Over the years, he has served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Defence, twice as Prime Minister, and twice as party chairman.
