Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has announced his resignation to give his party time to prepare for general elections that are to be held in the Caucasus nation by October.
"I would like to inform the public of the decision that I have discussed with my team. Today, I am stepping down from my position as prime minister," Gharibashvili said during a televised briefing at the government office on January 29.
Gharibashvili's announcement came amid reports in the Georgian media that the current chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, would take the place of Gharibashvili, who indicated he would become party chief in Kobakhidze's stead.
"I served our country, and uncompromisingly defended the interests of our country and people. I am proud of the results we achieved with the team during this period," Gharibashvili said.
Gharibashvili had two stints as Georgia's prime minister, the first one from 2013, where he replaced his longtime associate and Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili until December 2015, and the second from February 2021, after the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia's cabinet until January 29. Gharibashvili was a defense minister in Gakharia's government.
According to Georgia's constitution, the parliament must vote on a new government presented by a prime minister appointed by the ruling party within two weeks of the incumbent's resignation.
Georgia was granted EU candidacy status in December, when fellow former Soviet republics Ukraine and Moldova were given the green light to begin negotiations to join the bloc.
However, a report published earlier this month by the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum -- an umbrella network of nongovernmental organizations from the region and the European Union -- was critical of Georgia's backsliding on democracy and the rule of law under the Georgian Dream's rule while appeasing Russia despite Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Georgia “has flatlined in its overall EU approximation because of serious backsliding in fundamental freedoms, democracy and governance-related indicators, the government’s evident disregard for civil society and its penchant for appeasing Russia, which is at odds with the EU consensus,” the report said.
The report said Georgia was granted EU candidate status “even though” it had engaged in “anti-Western rhetoric” and attempted, but failed, to pass a controversial “foreign agents” bill last year.