TBILISI – The parliament in ex-Soviet nation Georgia has voted Monday evening to appoint a new prime minister and Cabinet after Giorgi Gakharia resigned last week over a court ruling to arrest the top opposition politician.
The lawmakers voted 89-2 for Irakli Garibashvili and his Cabinet. Garibashvili, 38, served as the country’s prime minister between 2013 and 2015 and was the defense minister in Gakharia's Cabinet.
His candidacy was put forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party. Gakharia resigned Thursday over the decision to arrest Nika Melia, chairman of the United National Movement opposition party.
A Tbilisi court last week ruled to place Melia, who is accused of organizing “mass violence” during anti-government protests in 2019, in