UPDATED: Agriculture and Energy Ministers step down
Election 2016: Two ministers must resign ahead of October vote

Georgia’s Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze resigned from his official duties today. Photo from Kaladze’s Facebook page.
Agenda.ge, 09 Sep 2016 - 18:39, Tbilisi,Georgia

UPDATED: 6:39pm

Minister of Agriculture Otar Danelia stepped down after election legislation prevented him from continuing his Ministerial duties. 

Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili presented deputy minister Levan Davitashvili as Acting Minister of Agriculture until the new cabinet is approved.

Danelia was appointed Georgia’s Agriculture Minister in July 2014. He will compete as the Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia's majoritarian candidate in Georgia’s Martvili-Abasha areas in western Samegrelo region in the October 8 Parliamentary Election.

EARLIER: 4:39pm September 9

Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister and Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze has officially resigned from his duties.

Kaladze is formerly known for his success as a Georgian football player. During his sporting days he also played for Dynamo Kiev and Milan Italy.

Kaladze was required to resign ahead of the October 8 Parliamentary Elections after he was named on the party list for Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG). The Election Code forbid specific people in power from continuing their duties as it was a conflict of interest with their election ambitions.

Deputy Energy Minister Ilia Eloshvili will temporarily assume the role of Energy Minister until after the October 8 elections and Georgia has a new Government,

The Ministry was like a family for me and you all are like my family members. We have together completed and launched many important projects,” said Kaladze to his Ministry staff today, adding the farewell was "very emotional" for him.

EARLIER: 4pm September 8:

Two Georgian cabinet ministers must step down from their official roles after being named on a party list that confirms their participation in the October 8 Parliamentary Elections.

Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze and Minister of Agriculture Otar Danelia must resign before September 10.

Their impending resignation was confirmed today when the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) party released a list naming its top 10 party candidates.

Both Kaladze and Danelia will participate in the upcoming elections with the GDDG party.

Kaladze was named number two on the GDDG party list, while Danelia will compete as the party’s majoritarian candidate in Georgia’s Martvili-Abasha areas in western Samegrelo region.

Today was the final day political parties could present their party lists to Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC).

According to Georgia’s Election Code, politicians in certain positions were prohibited from retaining their official posts if they appeared on a party list.

Minister of Agriculture has been named as the GDDG majoritarian candidate.

The Election Code stated these people must resign from their roles within two days of the party list being presented to the CEC, as their participation in the election was a conflict of interest with their current role.

Georgia’s two outgoing ministers

Danelia was appointed as Georgia’s Agriculture Minister in July 2014, while Kaladze gained the role of Energy Minister in October 2012, shortly after the Georgian Dream coalition defeated United National Movement’s nine-year rule through the 2012 Parliamentary Elections.

Georgia has a mixed electoral system in which 73 lawmakers are elected in 73 single-member constituencies. Generally known as a majoritarian mandate, candidates must gain 50 percent of votes in order to be an outright winner, otherwise a second round of voting must be held.

The remaining 77 seats are allocated proportionally under the party-list contest among other political parties who clear the five percent threshold in the nationwide vote.

According to the CEC, 3,510,514 voters were registered to vote in next month’s elections.

Thirty-one election subjects including 25 political parties and six election blocs will compete in the 2016 Parliamentary Elections.