Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has called premature the statement of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili on retirement from politics after the election of Georgia's President in October this year.

"This is a thoughtless and premature statement, followed, of course, by some problems," Saakashvili said on June 23 in Gori, where he visited an exhibition of local wine.

Earlier PM Ivanishvili said in an interview with Estonian newspaper Postimees that he intends to leave politics a few days after Saakashvili leaves and new presidential elections are held.

"I do not want, and it would be bad for politics in Georgia, to bet the stake on one person. The most important three posts, I believe, will go to conscientious people, democrats. There is a need for an independent judiciary and free media. We need fresh blood," the prime minister said.

Ivanishvili also expressed doubt that Saakashvili's United National Movement -- whose popularity rating, according to opinion polls, has fallen below 10 percent -- can become a constructive opposition.

According to media reports, three members of the government could be considered as the most probable successor as the prime minister. This is the former head of the Ivanishvili Fund and the current Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili, as well as Defense Minister and leader of the party Our Georgia - Free Democrats Irakli Alasania and Deputy Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze. Garibashvili, who is the youngest of the contenders, reportedly reserves the best chance.

Saakashvili believes that the mentioned hasty decision was announced by the prime minister because in Georgia "in the last few months not everything went as they expected."

"There are many problems, the economy is reeling, aggression against our country has increased, there are plenty of other problems, and it's causing discontent among the population, and the promises are not fulfilled," he said.

The Georgian president said the state is not a "kindergarten" and must take the fate of the country seriously.

"The state is the interest of citizens, their expectations, long-term development perspective, this is all that is related to the daily life of our citizens, and such statements do not serve to the stability of our country," Saakashvili said.

Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on October 1, 2012. Opposition coalition Georgian Dream, led by Bidzina Ivanishvili, won the election, and secured a 85-seat majority in the 150-seat legislature, surpassing President Saakashvili's United National Movement. Saakashvili will remain president until his current term ends in October 2013.

Afterwards, mass arrests and interrogations of former officials began, on charges of various crimes -- from mismanagement of budget funds to torture.

The 2013 presidential election in Georgia is scheduled for October. This will be the 6th presidential election after the country's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The last one, held on January 5, 2008, resulted in the election of Mikheil Saakashvili for his second and final presidential term. According to the constitution, Saakashvili cannot run for a third consecutive term.

Upon the inauguration of a new president in 2013, a series of constitutional amendments passed in the parliament of Georgia from 2010 to 2013 will go into effect. The amendments envisage significant reduction of the president's powers in favor of the Prime Minister.