PM accepts resignation of Defence and State Reconciliation Ministers
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Two cabinet ministers within the current Georgian Government are stepping down from their posts to participate in the October 8 Parliamentary Elections race.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili accepted the resignations of the country’s Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli and Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Paata Zakaraeishvili.
The Government of Georgia said new ministerial candidates to fill these two positions will be announced in the near future.
The outgoing ministers will both participate in the upcoming elections representing the David Usupashvili-Republican Party, which will challenge separate from the Georgian Dream (GD) coalition in the October elections.
Two weeks ago when speaking to media Usupashvili announced Khidasheli and Zakaraeishvili would both resign from their ministerial positions but a third member of the Republican Party who was also a cabinet member had decided to quit the party and remain with the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) coalition.
This person was Georgia's Minister of Environment Gigla Agulashvili. His decision to leave the Republican Party allowed him to retain his ministerial post.
Khidasheli and Zakareishvili both addressed Prime Minister about their resignation and yesterday the PM accepted their request.
Georgia's Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli and Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Paata Zakaraeishvili will step down from their posts to participate in the October 8 election representing the David Usupashvili-Republican Party, which will run separately from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) coalition.
Georgia’s Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze has been chosen to lead the Georgian Dream Democratic Georgia (GDDG) party through the pre-election period before the October 8, 2016 Parliamentary Elections.
Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will monitor the upcoming 2016 Parliamentary Eections in Georgia in October. This was announced when OSCE top official, Secretary General Lamberto Zannier met Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Tbilisi this afternoon.
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili has signed the President’s decree about the upcoming Parliamentary Elections, meaning parties can officially begin pre-election campaigning from today.
Today Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said discussions between himself and President Giorgi Margvelashvili about the date of the election ended with the two officials agreeing the elections needed to be held in early October, as a later date might cause complications.
A short time ago Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili announced the two people who would be the country’s new Minister of Defence and State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality.
Georgia’s newly appointed Minister of Defence has held his first official meeting with the country’s President to discuss the direction of the Defence Ministry and the agency’s goals.
Georgia’s Ministry of Defence has explained the reasons to resume compulsory military conscription after it was abolished by ex-Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli in June 2016.