Expected new Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia has submitted a government plan for the period 2019-2020 to the parliament, reported agenda.ge.

According to the plan the integration into NATO and the EU is the crucial goal in achieving state security. The remaining three goals are the economic development of the country, encouragement of high-quality education and ensuring effective governance. The plan also mentioned that the government will take actions to transform the country into a regional hub, with large infrastructural projects to achieve said goal. Reforms will also continue in the fields of agriculture, justice and law enforcement. The development of an electronic governance system has been named as one of the key priorities of the new government.

Reactions to Gakharia’s nomination

Gakharia’s nomination for Georgia’s new Prime Minister from Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party caused a wide array of reactions on the domestic and international level. Amongst the supporters of his appointment were his fellow colleagues from the Georgian Dream party.

“Giorgi Gakharia has gained a very positive experience from human rights protection to economic field, where he managed to successfully deal with his obligations. There has been no difference of opinions over this issue at today’s meeting… The United National Movement’s [UNM] hysteria and campaigns are the reason that their spontaneous or nonspontaneous “the Gavrilov revolution” failed, which first of all has been the merit of the Interior Ministry,” said Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the Georgian Dream faction. A similar view was shared Parliamentary Majority leader Gia Volski, saying that his candidacy and the proposed changes will enjoy trust in society. The Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze also is confident that the Gakharia government would achieve its goals. “I have always been saying and will repeat again that unity and joint efforts are vital, and this team spirit enables us to face challenges and problems,” he said.

Members of the opposition parties and some parts of the civil society on the other hand expressed their dissatisfaction for appointing Gakharia as the new prime minister. “This is the heaviest decision, which Bidzina Ivanishvili has taken for himself and for the Georgian Dream. Because the Georgian population might endure a lot, including a heavy social-economic background, which is the case for the last seven years, but we will never accept being insulted. The Georgian population will never accept Gavrilov as prime minister. A person that took blood of innocent youth on Rustaveli Avenue because of Gavrilov, instead of being dismissed, was promoted today and is set to become a Prime Minister. This is a direct message to Moscow by the ruling party and Georgian Dream are now waiting for Moscow’s gratitude,” said Zaal Udumashvili from the United National Movement.

The UNM’s founder and former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili also reacted to Gakharia’s appointment. “Bidzina Ivanishvili’s government has completely lost legitimacy due to his recent steps. This is no longer a legal government, this is a violent usurper regime. And any action taken against the violent usurper is justified historically, legally and morally. It is about the existence or absence of the country. The only thing we are not entitled to is inaction,” he wrote on social media. “Russia already has its man as head of the Georgian government who can make any decision. Believe me, Bidzina Ivanishvili will soon be removed and he cannot realize that. Ivanishvili will be poisoned, killed or lost. Remember my words. This is Russia and it never jokes,” said Sandra Roelofs, Saakashvili’s wife and one of the leading figures in the UNM.

Members of the European Georgia and the Republican party perceived Gakharia’s nomination as a move to silence the public opinion for the upcoming elections.

Journalists had also taken a critical stance towards Gakharia’s appointment. “Buoyed by victory, Ivanishvili is facing down the opponents. He has now nominated Gakharia as the Prime Minister, elevated his other henchmen, former PM Irakli Gharibashvili to Defence Minister and posting Giorgi Gomelauri, his former bodyguard, at the Interior. The signal is clear, the baby-faced front-men, like the outgoing Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze are out, and the war cabinet is in. The new nominations announced that Georgian Dream has launched its 2020 parliamentary election campaign ahead of its adversaries, and that it will be divisive, bitter and dirty,” stated in an editorial of civil.ge, a news website run by Georgian NGO UN Association of Georgia.

Journalist Giorgi Lomsadze published an article in euroasianet pointing out that Gakharia’s appointment was praised by the Russian parliamentarian Sergej Gavrilov. He also cited the Georgian political expert Gia Khukhashvili saying that Ivanishvili may have installed Gakharia as a lightning rod to absorb any public anger at the authorities, “while the billionaire himself can remain in a safe, formal distance from the political front lines.”

An article in vestnikkavkaza quoted Thomas De Waal, a British journalist and expert on the South Caucasus, that he fears that after Gakharia’s appointment as head of government, “Georgian politics will become even more messy.” “Does Bidzina Ivanishvili think that the only way to win the next election is to tighten the screws? If yes, then this is a big step backward for Georgia,” the expert noted.