Azernews.Az

By Laman Sadigova

Georgia’s former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who left his post on December 23, will soon leave the post of the chairman of the Georgian Dream party .

The former prime minister won't be named the number one candidate in the electoral list of the Georgian Dream in the upcoming parliamentary elections in October 2016, Interfax reports.

Georgian Dream wrested power from reformist ex-president Mikheil Saakashvilili’s party in the October 2012 parliamentary elections.

Irakli Garibashvili was the youngest head of government in Europe when he was appointed to the job in the former Soviet republic in November 2013. Garibashvili gave no explanations or reasons on his resignation.

Under the Georgian Constitution, suspension of the PM’s authority causes the same in terms of the government members. The President presents the candidate offered by the parliamentary majority within 7 days. In turn, the candidate will select new ministers and present them to the parliament.

"I am leaving this post today, but I remain a faithful soldier of our country,'' he said.”The post of Prime Minister has never been an end in itself for me. I am always ready to serve the country and its people as it is a part of my political culture. We have a young democracy; the main thing is the example after us for our children."

"I leave the office, but I remain a soldier of my homeland,'' he stressed.

Earlier, Georgian media had speculated that Garibashvili would step down to focus all his energy on the campaign for Georgian Dream in parliamentary elections next November.

Opposition said that his resignation may likely be part of the coalition's efforts to reverse a rapid loss of popularity amid economic turmoil before parliamentary elections.

"Georgian Dream is looking for a replacement for Garibashvili as its ratings are falling catastrophically," Irakli Chikovani, a lawmaker from opposition Free Democrats party said.

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