Prime Minister of Georgia


The Prime Minister of Georgia is the head of government and chief executive of Georgia. The Prime Minister organizes, directs, and controls the functions of the Government and signs the legal acts of the government. They appoint and dismiss ministers in the government. 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.
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 and then be appointed by the President of Georgia.
Giorgi Gakharia is the incumbent prime minister. He succeeded Mamuka Bakhtadze on 8 September 2019.

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 2011 and 2018.

Qualifications

The office of Prime Minister may not be held by a citizen of Georgia who is simultaneously the citizen of a foreign country.

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 ministerial candidates selected by them must win the confidence vote of the Parliament and then, within 2 days of a vote of confidence, be appointed by the President of Georgia. If the President does not appoint the Prime Minister within the established time frame, the Prime Minister is considered appointed. 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.

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. Prime Minister signs the legal acts of the government and countersigns some of the acts issued by the President of Georgia.
The Prime Minister also has the right to make decision on the use of the Defense Forces during martial law without the Parliament's approval. During the martial law, the Prime Minister becomes a member of the National Defense Council, a consultative body chaired by the President of Georgia.

List of Heads of Government of Georgia (1918–present)

Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)

PictureName
Began officeLeft officePartyTitle
1Noe Ramishvili
26 May 191824 June 1918Social Democratic Party of GeorgiaChairman of Government
2Noe Zhordania
24 June 191818 March 1921Social Democratic Party of GeorgiaChairman of Government

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1991)

Republic of Georgia (1991–1995)

No.Name
PictureTook OfficeLeft OfficeParty
—Murman Omanidze
'		18 August 199123 August 1991Independent
1Besarion Gugushvili
23 August 19916 January 1992Round Table—Free Georgia
2Tengiz Sigua
6 January 19926 August 1993Independent
—Eduard Shevardnadze
'		6 August 199320 August 1993Independent
3Otar Patsatsia
20 August 19935 October 1995Independent

Georgia (1995–present)

No.Name
PictureTook OfficeLeft OfficeParty
1Niko Lekishvili
8 December 199526 July 1998Union of Citizens of Georgia
2Vazha Lortkipanidze
31 July 199811 May 2000Union of Citizens of Georgia
3Giorgi Arsenishvili
11 May 200021 December 2001Union of Citizens of Georgia
4Avtandil Jorbenadze
21 December 200127 November 2003Union of Citizens of Georgia
5Zurab Zhvania
27 November 200317 February 2004United National Movement

No.Name
PictureTook OfficeLeft OfficeParty
4Zurab Zhvania
17 February 20043 February 2005United National Movement
—Mikheil Saakashvili
'		3 February 200517 February 2005United National Movement
5Zurab Noghaideli
17 February 200516 November 2007United National Movement
—Giorgi Baramidze
'		16 November 200722 November 2007United National Movement
6Lado Gurgenidze
22 November 20071 November 2008Independent
7Grigol Mgaloblishvili
1 November 20086 February 2009Independent
8Nika Gilauri
6 February 20094 July 2012Independent
9Vano Merabishvili
4 July 201225 October 2012United National Movement
10Bidzina Ivanishvili
25 October 201220 November 2013Georgian Dream
11Irakli Garibashvili
20 November 201330 December 2015Georgian Dream
12Giorgi Kvirikashvili
30 December 201513 June 2018Georgian Dream
13Mamuka Bakhtadze
20 June 20182 September 2019Georgian Dream
14Giorgi Gakharia
8 September 2019IncumbentGeorgian Dream

Living former Prime Ministers

As of 22 January 2020, there are 15 living former Prime Ministers, along with 3 acting Prime Ministers, the oldest being Otar Patsatsia. The most recent Prime Minister to die was Tengiz Sigua on 21 January 2020. The most recently-serving Prime Minister to die was Zurab Zhvania on 3 February 2005.
NameLength of TermDate of birth
1989-1990
Murman Omanidze1991
Besarion Gugushvili1991-1992
Otar Patsatsia1993-1995
Niko Lekishvili1995-1998
Vazha Lortkipanidze1998-2000
Avtandil Jorbenadze2001-2003
Mikheil Saakashvili2005
Zurab Noghaideli2005-2007
Giorgi Baramidze2007
Lado Gurgenidze2007-2008
Grigol Mgaloblishvili2008-2009
Nika Gilauri2009-2012
Vano Merabishvili2012
Bidzina Ivanishvili2012-2013
Irakli Garibashvili2013-2015
Giorgi Kvirikashvili2015-2018
Mamuka Bakhtadze2018-2019