Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili resigns

The prime minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, is resigning his office to take up a political party role in advance of this year’s national elections.

On Monday, Garibashvili revealed he had accepted an offer as chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

“We will elect a new parliament in the fall, and Georgian Dream should prepare to win elections decisively to continue the way forward in achieving other goals,” he said in a speech.

His resignation comes a month after the return of controversial billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, who reclaimed the title of the party’s honorary chairman.

Ivanishvili, a wealthy figure with ties to Russia, previously served as Georgia’s prime minister from 2012 to 2013. 

Georgian Dream has maintained a stance of not endorsing sanctions against Russia or providing military support to Ukraine. In the past year, the party withdrew a proposed foreign agent registration bill, reminiscent of one in Russia, following extensive public protests.

Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of the opposition United National Movement, expressed concerns about Garibashvili’s resignation, linking it to Ivanishvili’s political manoeuvres.

He asserted that the current government is not serving the interests of the people, but  instead rather prioritising their own and Ivanishvili’s enrichment.

Garibashvili previously served as prime minister from 2013 to 2015 and was reappointed to the position in 2021.