Speaker Papuashvili: State Minister position will not be created after Mdinaradze’s departure from politics, ministries may merge

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said the State Minister position for regional coordination will no longer be created following former Regional Development Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze’s decision to leave politics.

Papuashvili on Monday said the position had been conceived in view of Mdinaradze’s experience, authority and ability to coordinate state institutions.

“The State Minister position will no longer be created. When it was announced that the State Minister position for coordinating law-enforcement agencies would be abolished, a position with the same direction was planned to be created. As for the abolition, the State Minister position for coordinating law-enforcement agencies will be abolished, and a regional coordination position will not be created,” Papuashvili said.

He added discussions were underway and the Regional Development Ministry and Infrastructure Ministry will likely be merged.

Papuashvili said the coordination functions previously assigned to Mdinaradze by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze had been based, among other things, on his personal capabilities.

“He performed this function very well, and this coordination is very well established. The intention was to establish the same kind of coordination in the regional direction. Since Mdinaradze decided to leave politics, this need no longer exists,” Papuashvili said.

He added that creating the proposed position had been considered specifically because of Mdinaradze’s political experience, influence and knowledge, saying that his work coordinating law-enforcement agencies was evidence of his ability to perform such a role.

Papuashvili said the proposed changes to the government structure would be discussed by parliament during the next session week.

Mdinaradze resigned as Regional Development Minister on August 27 and announced that he was leaving politics.