Georgian parliament names new prime minister as the ruling party gears up for elections in the fall

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — The former chairman of Georgia’s ruling party has been appointed by parliament as the prime minister of the Caucasus nation in a reshuffle ahead of national elections in the autumn. Irakli Kobakhidze was named to the job by a 84-10 parliament vote on Thursday. Kobakhidze previously stepped down as chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party and was replaced by the former prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, who resigned last month. The reshuffle came after the founder of the Georgian Dream, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, returned as the party’s honorary chairman. Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia, served as Georgia’s prime minister from 2012 to 2013.