Prime Minister of Georgia

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Prime Minister of Georgia
საქართველოს პრემიერ-მინისტრი (Georgian)
Greater coat of arms of Georgia.svg
PM Garibashvili, Munich Security Conference, Munich - Hotel Bayerischer Hof.jpg
Incumbent
Irakli Garibashvili
since 22 February 2021
Administration of the Government of Georgia
Style
Type Head of government
AbbreviationPM, Premier
Member of
Reports to Parliament
Seat State Chancellery
NominatorParliament
Appointer President
(The president appoints the designated prime minister who has been confirmed by the parliament)
Term length Four years,
renewable indefinitely
Constituting instrument Constitution of Georgia
Formation26 May 1918;105 years ago (1918-05-26)
First holder Noe Ramishvili (Georgian Democratic Republic)
Deputy First Deputy Prime Minister
Salary13,000 GEL/US$ 5,019 per month [1]
Website Official website

The prime minister of Georgia (Georgian :საქართველოს პრემიერ-მინისტრი, romanized:sakartvelos p'remier-minist'ri) is the head of government and chief executive of Georgia.

Contents

In Georgia, the president is a ceremonial head of state and mainly acts as a figurehead. The executive power is vested in the Government. The prime minister organizes, directs, and controls the functions of the Government. He also signs its legal acts. They appoint and dismiss ministers in the Cabinet. The prime minister represents Georgia in foreign relations and concludes international treaties on behalf of Georgia. They are accountable for the activities of the Government before the Parliament of Georgia. [2]

The prime minister is nominated by a political party that has secured the best results in the parliamentary election. The nominee must win the Confidence vote of the Parliament. Irakli Garibashvili is the incumbent prime minister. He succeeded Giorgi Gakharia on 22 February 2021.

History

The office of prime minister under the name of the chairman of Government was introduced in Georgia upon its declaration of independence in May 1918. It was abolished with the Soviet takeover of the country in February 1921. The newly independent Georgia established the position of prime minister in August 1991, only to be abolished de facto in the aftermath of the January 1992 military coup and legally in the 1995 Constitution. The office was reintroduced in the February 2004 constitutional amendment and further modified as a result of series of amendments passed between 2012 and 2018.

From the office's reestablishment in 2004 and throughout the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili, the prime minister was appointed by the President and served as his chief adviser, while the President exercised most of the executive powers. However, after the entry into force of the 2012 and 2018 constitutional amendments, that instituted Georgia as a parliamentary republic, the president's executive powers were eliminated and transferred to the prime minister.

Qualifications

The office of prime minister may not be held by a citizen of Georgia who is simultaneously the citizen of another country. [3]

Appointment

The prime minister is nominated by a political party that has secured the best results in the parliamentary election. The nominee for premiership and his ministerial candidates must win the confidence vote of the Parliament and then, within 2 days of a vote of confidence, be formally appointed by the president of Georgia. If the president does not appoint the prime minister within the established time frame, the prime minister will be appointed automatically. If the parliamentary vote of confidence is not passed within the established time frame, the president dissolves the Parliament no earlier than two weeks and no later than three weeks after the respective time frame has expired, and calls extraordinary parliamentary election. [4]

Functions

The prime minister of Georgia is the head of the Government, responsible for government activities and appointment and dismissal of ministers. They are accountable before the parliament. The prime minister signs the legal acts of the government [2] and countersigns some of the acts issued by the president of Georgia. [5]

The prime minister has the right to use the Defense Forces without the Parliament's approval during martial law. [6] During the martial law, the prime minister becomes a member of the National Defense Council, a consultative body chaired by the president of Georgia. [7] Although it is the president who is officially the commander-in-chief, in practice, the military is managed by the Government and prime minister.

The prime minister is also the head of the National Security Council.

List of officeholders

Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)

Chairman of Government (1918–1921)

No.PortraitName
(born–died)
Term of officePolitical partyElectedRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 Noe Besarionis dze Ramishvili.jpg Noe Ramishvili
(1881–1930)
26 May 191824 June 191829 days Social Democratic Party of Georgia
2 Noe Schordania.jpg Noe Zhordania
(1868–1953)
24 June 191818 March 19212 years, 267 days Social Democratic Party of Georgia 1919

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1991)

Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars (1921–1946)

No.PortraitName
(born–died)
Term of officePolitical partyElectedRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 Polikarp Mdivani.jpg Polikarp Mdivani
(1887–1937)
7 March 192219 April 192243 days Communist Party of Georgia
2 No image.png Sergey Kavtaradze
(1885–1971)
19 April 192221 January 1923277 days Communist Party of Georgia
3 Shalva Eliava - 2.jpg Shalva Eliava
(1883–1937)
21 January 192314 June 19274 years, 144 days Communist Party of Georgia
4 L I Lavrentiev Kartvelishvili.jpg Lavrenty Kartvelishvili
(1890–1938)
14 June 19277 June 19291 year, 358 days Communist Party of Georgia
5 Filipp Makharadze.jpg Filipp Makharadze
(1886–1941)
1 June 192920 January 19311 year, 233 days Communist Party of Georgia
6 No image.png Levan Sukhishvili
(?-?)
20 January 193122 September 1931245 days Communist Party of Georgia
7 German Mgaloblishvili Vruchenie ordenov TsIK SSSR (cropped).jpg German Mgaloblishvili
(?–1937)
22 September 19319 July 19375 years, 290 days Communist Party of Georgia
8 No image.png Valerian Bakradze
(1901–1971)
9 July 193715 April 19468 years, 280 days Communist Party of Georgia 1938

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers (1946–1991)

No.PortraitName
(born–died)
Term of officePolitical partyElectedRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
8 No image.png Valerian Bakradze
(1901–1971)
15 April 194626 March 1947345 days Communist Party of Georgia
9 No image.png Zakhary Chkhubianishvili  [ ka ]
(1903–?)
26 March 19476 April 19525 years, 11 days Communist Party of Georgia 1947
10 No image.png Zakhary Ketskhoveli
(1902–1970)
6 April 195216 April 19531 year, 10 days Communist Party of Georgia 1951
(8) No image.png Valerian Bakradze
(1901–1971)
16 April 195320 September 1953157 days Communist Party of Georgia
11 No image.png Givi Javakhishvili
(1912–1985)
21 September 195317 December 197522 years, 88 days Communist Party of Georgia 1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
12 No image.png Zurab Pataridze
(1928–1982)
17 December 19755 June 19826 years, 170 days Communist Party of Georgia 1975
1980
13 No image.png Dmitry Kartvelishvili  [ ru ]
(1927–2009)
2 July 198212 April 19863 years, 284 days Communist Party of Georgia
15 No image.png Otar Cherkezia  [ ru ]
(1933–2004)
12 April 198629 March 19892 years, 351 days Communist Party of Georgia 1985
16 No image.png Zurab Chkheidze  [ ru ]
(1930–2007)
29 March 198914 April 198916 days Communist Party of Georgia
17 No image.png Nodari Chitanava  [ ru ]
(born 1935)
14 April 198915 November 19901 year, 215 days Communist Party of Georgia
18 No image.png Tengiz Sigua
(1934–2020)
15 November 199018 August 1991276 days Independent 1990

Georgia (since 1991)

Prime minister (1991–1995)

No.PortraitName
(born–died)
Term of officePolitical partyElectedRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
No image.png Murman Omanidze
(1938–2020)
acting
18 August 199123 August 19915 days Independent
1 Besarion Gugushvili.jpg Besarion Gugushvili
(born 1945)
23 August 19916 January 1992 [lower-alpha 1] 136 days Round Table—Free Georgia
2 No image.png Tengiz Sigua
(1934–2020)
6 January 19926 August 19931 year, 212 days Independent 1992
Eduard shevardnadze.jpg Eduard Shevardnadze
(1928–2014)
acting
6 August 199320 August 199314 days Independent
3 No image.png Otar Patsatsia
(1929–2021)
20 August 19935 October 19952 years, 46 days Independent

State Minister (1995–2004)

No.PortraitName
(born–died)
Term of officePolitical partyRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 No image.png Niko Lekishvili
(born 1947)
8 December 199526 July 19982 years, 230 days Union of Citizens of Georgia
2 No image.png Vazha Lortkipanidze
(born 1949)
31 July 199811 May 20001 year, 285 days Union of Citizens of Georgia
3 No image.png Giorgi Arsenishvili
(1942–2010)
11 May 200021 December 20011 year, 224 days Union of Citizens of Georgia
4 No image.png Avtandil Jorbenadze
(born 1951)
21 December 20017 November 20031 year, 321 days Union of Citizens of Georgia
5 Surab Schwania.jpg Zurab Zhvania
(1963–2005)
7 November 200317 February 2004102 days United National Movement

Prime minister (2004–present)

No.PortraitName
(born–died)
Term of officePolitical partyElectedGovernment(s)Ref.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
4 Surab Schwania.jpg Zurab Zhvania
(1963–2005)
17 February 20043 February 2005352 days United National Movement 2004 Zhvania
President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi, March 22, 2008.jpg Mikheil Saakashvili
(born 1967)
acting
3 February 200517 February 200514 days United National Movement Zhvania [8]
5 Zurab Nogaideli.jpg Zurab Noghaideli
(born 1964)
17 February 200516 November 20072 years, 272 days United National Movement Noghaideli
Giorgi baramidze.jpg Giorgi Baramidze
(born 1968)
acting
16 November 200722 November 20076 days United National Movement Noghaideli [9]
6 Lado Gurgenidze (August 25, 2008).jpg Lado Gurgenidze
(born 1970)
22 November 20071 November 2008345 days Independent Gurgenidze
7 Grigol Mgaloblishvili (November 20, 2008) (A).jpg Grigol Mgaloblishvili
(born 1973)
1 November 20086 February 200997 days Independent 2008 Mgaloblishvili
8 Nika Gilauri (Thailand, 21 April 2010).jpg Nika Gilauri
(born 1975)
6 February 20094 July 20123 years, 149 days Independent Gilauri
9 Ivane Merabishvili.jpg Vano Merabishvili
(born 1968)
4 July 201225 October 2012113 days United National Movement Merabishvili
10 Bidzina Ivanishvili 2013-07-19.jpg Bidzina Ivanishvili
(born 1956)
25 October 201220 November 20131 year, 26 days Georgian Dream 2012 Ivanishvili
11 Irakli Garibashvili 2013. 2 (cropped).jpg Irakli Garibashvili
(born 1982)
20 November 201330 December 20152 years, 40 days Georgian Dream Garibashvili I
12 PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili meeting with Iranian VP Eshaq Jahangiri.jpg Giorgi Kvirikashvili
(born 1967)
30 December 201513 June 20182 years, 165 days Georgian Dream 2016 Kvirikashvili III
13 Mamuka Bakhtadze MSC 2019 (cropped).jpg Mamuka Bakhtadze
(born 1982)
20 June 20182 September 20191 year, 74 days Georgian Dream Bakhtadze
14 Giorgi Gakharia-18.jpg Giorgi Gakharia
(born 1975)
8 September 201918 February 20211 year, 167 days Georgian Dream 2020 Gakharia III
(11) PM Garibashvili, Munich Security Conference, Munich - Hotel Bayerischer Hof.jpg Irakli Garibashvili
(born 1982)
22 February 2021Incumbent2 years, 194 days Georgian Dream Garibashvili II

Notes

  1. Prime Minister of the rebel government at Zugdidi 24 September—6 November 1993

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References