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Georgia Nominates Minister Blamed in Protest Violence as Premier

Georgia Nominates Minister Blamed in Protest Violence as Premier

(Bloomberg) -- Georgia’s ruling party nominated the top law enforcement official, who was blamed for a harsh crackdown on demonstrations in June, as the new prime minister, prompting protesters to gather outside parliament to denounce the decision.

Giorgi Gakharia, 44, the interior minister and formerly the economic development minister, was put forward by the ruling Georgian Dream’s billionaire leader Bidzina Ivanishvili for a vote Tuesday. Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze resigned Monday in a Facebook post, saying “I have accomplished my mission.”

A group of protesters rallied outside the party headquarters in the capital, Tbilisi, and marched to the parliament building where the new cabinet is set to be approved in the next few days. The government has faced criticism over the currency’s slump to a record against the dollar amid a spat with its large neighbor, Russia. The Kremlin imposed a ban on direct flights to Georgia after protests broke out over the controversial visit of a Russian lawmaker to parliament in Tbilisi, hitting tourism revenue during the high season.

In a televised speech, Ivanishvili praised Bakhtadze for stepping down in “a polite manner,” and said “I believe Gakharia deserves this position.” Gakharia named Vakhtang Gomelauri, the head of the State Security Service, to replace him as interior minister and Irakli Garibashvili, a previous prime minister, to be his defense minister.

Georgia is preparing for parliamentary elections in October next year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Helena Bedwell in Tbilisi at hbedwell@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Torrey Clark at tclark8@bloomberg.net

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