GD Presents Adjara Gov't Chair Candidate

Ruling party Georgian Dream (GD) has presented their candidate - Tornike Rizhvadze, 29, for the post of Adjara government Chair.

Former Chairman of Georgia's Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Zurab Pataridze, who had held the post since July 2016, announced his resignation on July 4, saying it was jointly decided by him and his team. However, the real reason for Pataridze’s leaving the post is unclear and as the opposition claims, he was “dismissed” for being a teammate and friend of ex-PM, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who left the GD after internal disagreement on July 13.

Rizhvadze is the former Director of the Energy Development Fund of Georgia.

In 2017 he worked as Deputy Energy Minister and in 2013 -2017, Rizhvadze was the advisor of Adjaristskali Georgia (TATA POWER, CLEAN ENERGY INVEST, IFC Joint Venture), and then the company's director. This company is building hydropower plants on the river Adjaristskali.

The GD candidate received his higher education in Tbilisi State University and also abroad, in London, Kyiv and Pennsylvania, US. He has a wife and two children.

Ana Natsvlishvili, the Parliamentary Secretary of the President, stated that within two weeks, Margvelashvili will discuss potential Adjara Government Chair candidates with the Adjara Supreme Council, and not with the GD majority. The standard procedure for the President is to submit to the Supreme Council of Adjara a candidate who will be nominated by him.

The Adjara Supreme Council consists of 21 members. In order for the head of the government to be approved, 11 members of parliament must be in support of the candidate. The majority of the Georgian Dream has 14 mandates in the council.

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: netgazeti

Related stories:

Why Did Georgia’s Adjara Gov't Chair Resign?

Adjara Government Chair Resigns