PM takes “pride” in “successful years” of service after moving to party Chair position

Irakli Garibashvili, the Prime Minister of Georgia who was on Thursday elected as the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said he was taking “pride” in “successful years of service” as the country’s PM between 2013-2015 and 2021-2024. 

In his press comments after the GD Congress in Tbilisi, the official stressed “now, I am to contribute to the party's progress leveraging my experience”, attributing his move to the “democratic processes” within the faction. 

He also emphasised the need to provide “other successful leaders within the party an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities”. 

Garibashvili said he had made the decision to quit the PM position after considering resigning now to “allocate more time to party affairs” ahead of the upcoming elections in October while also allowing Irakli Kobakhidze, the party’s nominee for Premiership, to focus on Government responsibilities.

He also confirmed having held consultations with the Political Council of GD before announcing his resignation on Monday. 

Speaking about his new role, the official stressed accepting the position was both a “profound honour and a weighty responsibility”, and highlighted “my journey into politics began within this party, making it a deeply cherished political family to which I am bound”. 

Describing the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 26 as “very significant” amidst a “challenging geopolitical landscape”, he noted "It is imperative that we rally the full strength of our party and mobilise our supporters to secure a resounding victory. Our ambition is to attain a constitutional majority”.