Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has appointed Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri as the third vice-premier, the Government Administration reports. The order was signed on December 20, after which Gomelauri became the third vice-premier. The position of first vice-premier is held by the Minister of Economy, Levan Davitashvili, and another vice-premier is Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani, SOVA reports.
It is noteworthy that the order to appoint Gomelauri was signed a few hours after the US and Great Britain announced that the interior minister had been sanctioned and included in the Global Magnitsky List.
Vakhtang Gomelauri has been criticized by many of Georgia’s partners for his methods of dispersing demonstrations, which, according to local and foreign human rights activists, go beyond the law.