Kaladze for PM?

OPED

The more time goes by since the resignation of Prime Minister Garibashvili, the more important becomes the main persona and inspirer behind this resignation - Vice-Premier Kakhi Kaladze.

Although the vice-premier had a completely different person appointed as the prime minister instead of him, it is becoming clear that he has already begun making independent moves- neither for his own ‘dream’ that of ‘Georgian Dream’ nor via Bidzina Ivanishvili’s help – but independently.

Vice PM Kaladze might have always had the desire to make independent moves in the governmental party, but he revealed it only last year during the disaster in Tbilisi when he worked along the people covered in mud, while other government members, wearing ties, looked over the works without participating.

TV cameras clearly spotted that the vice-premier and other members of the government had different attitude towards people in need. To say it straightforwardly, the vice-premier used the natural disaster for his own rating. Exactly because of this PR stunt did the black cat run between the prime minister and the vice prime minister.

As former MP Valeri Gelbakhiani said, that controversy ended with the reprimanding of Kaladze: “I know that Garibashvili and Kaladze had a dispute in the State Chancellery. Garibashvili insisted on finding out why Kaladze missed the government sessions and why he had distanced himself from the government. Because of his meetings with the masses that weren’t agreed beforehand, his case was even discussed in Ureki with Ivanishvili, which is where he was reprimanded,” Gelbakhiani told newspaper Kviris Chronika.

Naturally, the Vice PM never confirmed he was summoned and reprimanded in Ureki. However, since the summer, he can be seen quite often in public, without the government, and this is obvious.

He was alone during the elections of the President of the Football Federation; he was independent in his actions when he ensured that his colleague footballer became the Governor of Gardabani during the special elections. In both cases, Kaladze took action independently.

However, still the government was left under attack, because with this violation of law he gave another reason for talks by the Opposition and Rustavi 2.

As it turns out, politics really does not know friendship and is only dependent on constant interests. The interest of the Vice PM and the Secretary General of the governmental party is obvious – to create his own team within the team of the Georgian Dream.

A team in a team, which will ensure his dream come true in future, which is to become the number one, the Prime Minister. Kaladze’s dream has to take a big test. There is a lawsuit filed against him. This means that the Prosecutor’s Office needs to start an investigation based on the lawsuit. The leader of the Georgian team, Jondi Bagaturia, accuses Kaladze of making corrupt deals in the energy sector. “The Prosecutor’s Office received the case and began studying Kaladze’s activities.

Apart from Kaladze, there are other high rank officials in the case. However, Kaladze is still the central figure. We want the prosecutors to investigate Kaladze’s activities in terms of him and his business partners having commercial interests in the energy sector. They are commercially interested in raising the tariffs on gas and electricity,”Bagaturia accused.

Apart from the politicians, Kaladze was also opposed by young activists. The governmental party’s subordinated New Generation party’s leader, Lado Sadgobelashvili, accuses the vice-premier of resuscitation of clan management and says that he has supporters who also believe in the “Kakhetian Clan”, which was previously patronized by ex-premier Garibashvili.

“Of course I have allies, and I’m sure not just one or two, being an ally doesn’t necessarily mean fulfilling somebody’s orders. It is about the ideology. Many do not like the system of clans, the system that Kaladze uses within the GD party and also those so-called businesses that were controlled by the National Movement in its time,” Sadgobelashvili declared.

Whether the vice-premier will be able to make his “dream” come true is hard to tell, it depends on where Kaladze will be before the autumn elections – offside or inside. The former footballer should not need to be taught which one is better. So far Kaladze has only defeated ex-Prime Minister Garibashvili, whether this reserve will be enough for the vice premier or not will become obvious in autumn.

Zaza Jgharkava