Press Digest 21.01.2015

Will Irakli Gharibashvili be replaced by Uta Ivanishvili's friend?

Death at son’s grave – Was Vazagashvili’s murder politically motivated?

“Ukrainian leader turned a cold shoulder to acting Georgian authorities”

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Will Irakli Gharibashvili be replaced by Uta Ivanishvili?

Reports are rife that the leading team plans to initiate major cabinet reshufflings. This issue has already been a point of heated discussions, and today there are even talks about the Prime Minister’s would-be replacement.

As the “Kronika +” paper reports, Irakli Gharibashvili will be replaced by Mamuka Bakhtadze, who allegedly is a close friend of the former PM’s eldest son, Uta Ivanishvili.

Presented below is an extract from the article recently published by the paper under the title: “Will Mamuka Bakhtadze be elected as Georgia’s Prime Minister?

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He is said to stroll down Parisian streets in casual clothes with a backpack; allegedly, he does not like luxurious clothes or bodyguards. Eccentric whims that are so characteristic of a billionaire’s son are not in his blood and he dedicates most of his time to books and education.

He is Bidzina Ivanishvili’s eldest son Uta Ivanishvili; he looks up to his father and his opinion has always been of decisive importance for our former Prime Minister. By the way, Uta talked his father out of going abroad and if the latter refused to get into politics, he planned to take this step instead.

“Certainly, I would have never achieved so much and been on par with my father; however, I will always be at my people’s service and will do everything for them. I know my father will never give up since we have always been strongly determined to help our country and people,”-stated Uta Ivanishvili in the runner-up to the elections.

Uta Ivanishvili was not forced to get into politics however; and as Kronika + reports, he has abstained from influencing the personnel policy of our acting authorities in any way.

According to inside information, Georgia’s acting Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili is expected to be replaced by Uta Ivanishvili’s friend Mamuka Bkhtadze, who has been director of Georgian Railways since September 2013.

Mamuka Bakhtadze is rather young. He was born in 1982 in Tbilisi and graduated from Georgia’s Technical University. Later, he obtained a Master’s Degree at Lomonosov Moscow State University and in 2010 he received an MBA at INSEAD Business School, where he became friends with Uta Ivanishvili.

Before 2013, he served as Director General of Georgian International Energy Corporation, one of the companies comprising Davit Bejuashvili’s Georgian Industrial Group.

For a short time, Mr. Bakhtadze also worked in Centre Point Group; then he was tenured as Director General of Georgian Railways and now he allegedly stands a chance of becoming Prime Minister.

Bidzina Ivanishvili viewed him as a would-be PM even after leaving his post.

“You’ve given me a decent piece of advice. Mamuka Bakhtadze is a good guy. By the way, I’ve not discussed his candidature before now but he is an interesting person and I will keep him in mind,”- Mr. Ivanishvili told journalists back then; however, ultimately he opted for Irakli Gharibashvili and appointed him as Head of Georgia’s Government.

Death at son’s grave – Was Vazagashvili’s murder politically motivated?

Iuri Vazagashvili, father of Zurab Vazagashvili, who was killed in a special operation, was reportedly fell victim to an explosion while putting flowers on his son’s grave. 

“This incident sparked countrywide controversy and fueled a lot of suspicions; as late Vezagashvili’s relatives allege, his son’s murderers simply did away with him; they also don’t rule out that Vazagashvili’s murder was politically motivated.

In any case, investigation into this tragic incident has already been launched on charges of first degree murder,” – reports the Rezonansi newspaper.

Allegedly, an explosive device was planted at the grave of Vazagashvili’s son and the explosion occurred when the vase for flowers was disturbed.

Late Vazagashvili’s relatives as well as our authorities rule out Vazagashvili’s suicide. As his neighbors claim Iuri Vazagashvili always went to the cemetery when visiting the village.

“These people who killed Iuri were Zura’s murderers as well. Father planned to visit the village and as it appears, these scoundrels knew about it,”- states late Iuri Vazagashvili’s daughter Manana.

As Vazagashvili’s friends claim, he had a multitude of plans; he intended to wage a fight against his son’s killers especially now when new, tangible details of the case have surfaced. Precisely this makes them think that nothing on earth would make Vazagashvili take his own life.

As lawyer Shalva Khachapuridze maintains, only those who did not want the new details to become public could be the ones to have gotten rid of Vazagashvili. However, he also does not rule out his murderers having a political motive as well.

“New details that had a chance to turn the tide have recently emerged in Zurab Vazagashvili’s case. As it appears, some people were against these details becoming public. However, it’s also obvious that the murder was politically motivated. Everyone knew Iuri as a politically active man with many strings to pull as well as many acquaintances in political circles.

I do hope that this high-profile case will soon be solved and investigators will have a final say in it.

I am convinced that this incident can be labeled as one of the most unspeakable murder cases in Georgia since Gia Chanturia’s death. Obviously, the culprits must be held accountable as soon as possible.

Similar incidents play into the hands of those who aim to heighten tensions and exacerbate the situation in the country. I don’t think they will stop at this; I think much more is still to come,”- concludes the lawyer.

 

“Ukrainian leader turned a cold shoulder to acting Georgian authorities”

The Rezonansi paper sat down with expert Petre Mamradze to discuss issues such as ongoing political developments in the country, Ukrainians’ decision to bring former Georgian authorities into their government as well as challenges our political larders may face this year.

“Current developments in Ukraine have motivated Saakashvili and his entourage; the Ukrainian leader’s decision to turn a cold shoulder to current Georgian authorities has also played into their hands. Saakashvili and his team members might now think that they have been exonerated from their wrongdoings and have regained the western leaders’ goodwill,”- maintains Petre Mamradze.

“Despite numerous radical statements made by acting Georgian high officials, Ukrainians have granted high posts to former Georgian criminal officials and justified this by alleging that they need experienced reformers in their government.

Just think for a while how ludicrous this allegation is, especially when Ukraine has a very strong Diaspora in the West and Ukrainians hold high posts in the U.S.,”- contends the respondent.

“I am sure that Saakashsvili’s loyal attendants will fail to bring about any rational reforms in Ukraine; however, our ex-president has managed to lead Poroshenko around to his point of view and the present Georgian authorities’ political impotence has also helped him to achieve his goal.

Anyway, the Ukrainians will see their inability to introduce positive changes into their lives with time; however, present developments in Ukraine playing into their hands is out of the question,”- concludes the respondent.

To a journalist’s question about whether reshufflings are to be expected within the government, the respondent claimed that obviously, reshufflings within the government are a must today, when we have 20 ministers instead of 12-13; their number must undoubtedly be cut and Saaakshvili’s corrupt government system must be overcome.