Head of Interior Ministry replaced today in Georgia

The new Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia is Vakhtang Gomelauri. This was stated by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. In his new position Gomelauri, who has previously held the post of first deputy interior minister, will replace Alexander Chikaidze, who resigned.

The head of the Institute for Strategy Management, Peter Mamradze, and the head of the Center for Security Studies and International Relations, Nick Chitadze, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the reasons for the resignation of former Interior Minister Alexander Chikaidze, as well as the appointment to the post of Vakhtang Gomelauri

According to political scientist Peter Mamradze, the decision on Chikaidze's resignation was not made by him.

"Of course it was not his decision," he said. "Without Prime Minister Garibashvili, who always consults with Ivanishvili, the resignation would not have happened. Even if Chikaidze really wanted to go himself, he was not allowed to do so without the consideration of the top politicians," he underlined.

Speaking about the appointment of Gomelauri as head of the Interior Ministry, the expert noted that he had previously worked for the State Security Service, where he always had a positive characteristic.

"Ivanishvili trusts him, as he had worked in the security services. And recently he has served as first deputy interior minister. There is a positive opinion about him in the structures, this I know. Another thing is that the whole system is very, very flawed. After all, the Georgian Dream coalition has inherited heavy systems of law enforcement, prosecutors, courts and so on. And, unfortunately, nothing has changed. So, in an environment where the system prevails, even a very good minister cannot show his best," concluded Mamradze.

For his part, the head of the Center for Security Studies and International Relations, Nick Chitadze, expressed the view that the decision on the resignation was accepted by Chikaidze primarily in connection with the terrorist act that a few days ago was carried out against Yuri Vazagashvili.

"But I think that this was merely a pretext. The main reason for the resignation, in my opinion, is the increase of crime in Georgia, with which the current leadership of the Interior Ministry cannot cope," the analyst said.

"There was a reason, and Chikaidze has resigned. Although it is rumored that he left his post against his will, he was told to do it," Chitadze summed up.