TBILISI, Georgia
Georgia’s government survived a vote of confidence late on Friday after the departure of seven cabinet ministers over the past year.
Parliament confirmed a new reshuffled cabinet led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili by 87 votes to 38, according to the Civil.ge news website.
The vote was prompted by a rash of ministerial resignations and sackings in the last 12 months, including that of Sports Minister Levan Kipiani last week, which triggered a constitutional clause stipulating a confidence vote if more than a third of the cabinet is replaced.
Among the new cabinets entrants is Tina Khidasheli as Georgia’s first female defense minister, the third person to hold the position since July last year.
The post is seen as crucial in the face of the perceived threat from Russia, which fought a five-day war against Georgia in 2008 that saw Tbilisi lose control over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Georgia has not had diplomatic relations with Moscow since the conflict and harbors ambitions to join the EU and NATO, signing an association agreement with the EU last year.
