President names new premier
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Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili named a new prime minister, saying the former Soviet state needed “new energy” to tackle fresh challenges after the war with Russia in August.
Saakashvili, under pressure after the crushing military defeat, asked parliament to approve 35-year-old Grigol Mgaloblishvili, the ambassador to Turkey, to replace Lado Gurgenidze.
Saakashvili told parliamentary deputies that he and Gurgenidze had made a joint decision, saying constitutional amendments obliged him to name a new prime minister after parliamentary elections held in May.
He told a later meeting of majority party leaders that Gurgenidze’s departure had been planned before the war.
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