Georgian Prime Minister Resigns, Saying ‘Mission’ Completed
Georgian Prime Minister Says His Work Is Done as Elections Loom
(Bloomberg) -- Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze stood down on Monday, saying he’d completed the tasks he’d set himself.
“The strategic framework has been created and put into place,” Bakhtadze, 37, said in a lengthy Facebook post listing the achievements of his government in the Caucasus nation. “I have decided to leave my position, considering that I have accomplished my mission.”
The former finance minister, who became premier in June last year, said he’d hold a news conference at 3 p.m. in the capital, Tbilisi. The ruling Georgian Dream party’s leader in parliament, Georgi Volsky, said a new candidate for prime minister would be announced on Tuesday.
Georgia faces parliamentary elections in October next year. The government has faced criticism in recent weeks as the currency has reached record lows against the dollar, and amid a backlash over a violent crackdown on protesters angered by the visit of a Russian lawmaker to Georgia’s parliament.
Earlier this month, local media reported that Interior Minister Georgi Gakharia -- who had been blamed over the handling of the protests in June -- may replace Bakhtadze as head of government.
To contact the reporter on this story: Helena Bedwell in Tbilisi at hbedwell@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gregory L. White at gwhite64@bloomberg.net, Tony Halpin, Paul Abelsky
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