Zurab Noghaideli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Prime Minister of Georgia | |
|---|---|
| Incumbent | |
| February 11, 2005 – present | |
| Preceded by | Zurab Zhvania |
| Succeeded by | incumbent |
| Born | October 22, 1964 Kobuleti, Adjara, Georgia |
| Political party | National Movement - Democrats |
| Profession | Physicist |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodox |
Zurab Noghaideli (Georgian: ზურაბ ნოღაიდელი) (born October 22, 1964) is a Georgian politician and the current Prime Minister of the republic.
Contents |
[edit] Early life and career
Born in the coastal town of Kobuleti in the southwestern region of Ajaria, Noghaideli graduated from the Moscow State University with a diploma in Physics in 1988. Before entering into national politics, he worked for the Institute of Geography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences between 1988-1992. In 1989-1990, he was also trained at the Institute of Geology of the Academy of Sciences of Estonia.
[edit] Parliament
He started his political career together with his friend, Zurab Zhvania, in the Green Party of Georgia in early 1990s. Noghaideli became a deputy in the Parliament of Georgia in 1992, elected following the overthrow of President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Environment Protection and Natural Resources during 1992-1995. He was again member of the successor Parliaments in 1995-1999 and 1999-2000, when he chaired the Parliamentary Tax and Income Committee.
[edit] Minister of Finances
He joined the government of Eduard Shevardnadze in the capacity of Minister of Finance in May 2000. During these years, he was considered a member of a political team of young reformists headed by Zurab Zhvania and Mikheil Saakashvili and proved to be quite an effective minister.
In 2001, he left the President-run Union of Citizens of Georgia party which he had joined in 1995. He was sacked, in 2002, without explanation, though it appears that he had intended to resign in protest against the policies of Shevardnadze’s increasingly corrupted government (as the Minister of Justice Mikheil Saakashvili did a year before).
In a brief period of 2002-2003, he was involved in banking and investment ventures.
After Shevardnadze was ousted in the Rose Revolution of November 21-November 23, 2003, Noghaideli returned to government as the economic adviser to the acting president, Nino Burjanadze. He was re-appointed to his old post as Minister of Finance in February 2004 in the government of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania.
[edit] Prime Minister
President Mikhail Saakashvili nominated Noghaideli for the post of Prime Minister on February 11, 2005 following the untimely death of Zhvania. He was confirmed by the Georgian Parliament on February 17 2005 by a vote of 175 to 24, and was sworn in immediately. Noghaideli is not a member of any party and is regarded as a technocrat with a tough approach to the corruption that plagues Georgia's economy.
Noghaideli is married and has one child.
[edit] The Cabinet
As of November 11, 2006, his cabinet is:
- Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli
- Minister of Justice and Vice Premier Giorgi Kavtaradze
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Gela Bezhuashvili
- Minister of Defence Davit Kezerashvili
- Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili
- Minister of Education and Science Alexandre Lomaia
- Minister of Culture, Monuments Protection and Sports Giorgi Gabashvili
- Minister of the Environment Davit Tkeshelashvili
- Minister of Finances Aleksi Aleksishvili
- Minister for Economic Development Irakli Okruashvili
- Minister of Agriculture Petre Tsiskarishvili
- Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri
- Minister for Labour, Healthcare and Social Affairs Vladimer Chipashvili
- Minister for Refugees and Migration Giorgi Kheviashvili
- State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Merab Antadze
- State Minister for Economical Reforms Kakhaber Bendukidze
- State Minister for Civil Integration Issues Zinaida Bestaeva
- State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze
| Preceded by: Zurab Zhvania |
Prime Minister of Georgia 2005 – present |
Incumbent |
