Parliament speaker Davit Usupashvili said he expects new government led by new prime minister to be confirmed by the legislative body early next week.

PM Irakli Garibashvili announced resignation on Wednesday evening without naming any specific reason behind the decision. He remains an acting prime minister and other members of the cabinet also continue performing their duties before the new prime minister and the cabinet is confirmed by the Parliament.
 
The Georgian Dream parliamentary majority has to name a new prime minister, who will then nominate cabinet members to face parliament’s confidence vote requiring support of at least 76 MPs.

“The parliamentary majority, the [ruling] coalition, which is united and will remain such in this process, will discuss the issue [a prime ministerial candidacy] and take decision probably on Friday,” Usupashvili told journalists.

“As far as confidence vote for the new cabinet is concerned, I suppose that this process will be completed by the beginning of next week and before the New Year we will form the new government,” the Parliament Speaker said.

Usupashvili also said he was aware about Garibashvili “thinking” of resignation, but not about timing of announcing the decision.

He thanked Garibashvili for his service and said that “lot has been achieved” over the past few years.

Asked about possible prime ministerial candidates, who are being currently speculated in the Georgian media – foreign minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili; healthcare minister Davit Sergeenko; economy minister Dimitri Kumsishvili and head of the state-owned Georgian Railway Mamuka Bakhtadze – Usupashvili responded: “All four of them are very successful… We have lots of successful people in our team; we will decide [about prime ministerial candidate] on Friday.”