New Cabinet Wins Confidence of Lawmakers

Georgian parliament has supported the new cabinet presented by PM candidate Mamuka Bakhtadze on June 20 with 99 votes for and only 6 against, as the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has116 seats in a 150-member parliament.

The vote for a new government became necessary after the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, stepped down on June 13 amid internal disagreement within the governmental team.

The new cabinet consists of 14 ministers but as Bakhtadze announced on June 18, he will reduce the number of ministries to 11 in 2-3 weeks, adding small government will be more effective and also it will help the government to cut administrative expenses.

The new  governmental cabinet looks as follows:

1. Minister of Foreign Affairs – Davit Zalkaliani
2. Minister of Culture and Monument Protection – Mikheil Giorgadze
3. Minister of Defense – Levan Izoria
4. Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development – Giorgi Cherkezishvili
5. Minister of Education and Science – Mikheil Chkhenkeli
6. Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture – Levan Davitashvili
7. Minister of Finance – Nikoloz Gagua
8. Minister of Corrections – Kakha Kakhishvili
9. Minister of Internal Affairs – Giorgi Gakharia
10. Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia – Sozar Subari
11. Minister of Justice – Thea Tsulukiani
12. Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs – Davit Sergeenko
13. Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure – Maia Tskitishvili
14. State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality – Ketevan Tsikhelashvili

By Thea Morrison

Related stories:

PM Candidate: Number of Ministries to Be Reduced from 14 to 11

Parliament Speaker Praises PM Candidate Bakhtadze

GD Majority Names Finance Minister as PM Candidate

PM Candidate Mamuka Bakhtadze's Address

Georgian Prime Minister Resigns