Giorgi Baramidze
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Giorgi Baramidze (Georgian: გიორგი ბარამიძე, born 1968) is a Georgian politician, Vice-Prime Minister of Georgia and State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration.
He was born in Tbilisi on January 5, 1968. He graduated from the Georgian Technical University, Faculty of Chemical Technologies in 1992. Baramidze read Economics in George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany in 1995 and was an Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD) Fellow at the Foreign Service School at Georgetown University in the United States in 1998-1999.
In 1991-1992 Giorgi Baramidze worked as the Executive Secretary of the Green Party of Georgia. In 1992 he worked as the Deputy-Head of the Human Rights and Inter-national Relations Board of Georgia, then as the Head of the Civil and Political Rights Protection Department.
He was a Member of Parliament from 1992-2003 (winning re-election in 1995 and 1999). Baramidze joined Eduard Shevardnadze's governing Union of Citizens in 1994.
In 2002, he became one of the leaders of the opposition party "United Democrats" and played an active role in the Rose Revolution in November 2003. After the change of power, Baramidze served as the Interior Minister in the new government from November 2003 to June 2004.
[edit] Factional role in government
He was seen as a member of the government faction grouped around the then Prime Minister (and Rose Revolution leader) Zurab Zhvania[1] that were seen to be in opposition to the President Mikheil Saakashvili. As such he publicly cast doubt upon the official explanation for Zhvania's death due to carbon monoxide poisoning and instead appeared to endorse the possibility of foul play stating "none of the versions [of explanation for his death] should be ruled out."[2]
[edit] Time as defence minister
Giorgi Baramidze was appointed Minister of Defense in June 2004. In December 2004, some sixty servicemen went AWOL and rallied outside the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office to demand better social conditions in the army. The former military Ombudsman, Irakli Sesiashvili said that while Baramidze was in charge "these soldiers have not taken a bath for two months; there is not enough food. Over the last two months, they have eaten meat only a few times. The soldiers do not even have cold water regularly. Heating equipment has been installed, but there is no fuel… all of these Ministers care more about repairing their offices and purchasing new jeeps."[3]
In December 2004, he was moved to the post of Vice Premier and State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration. He subsequently had a very public dispute with his successor as defence minister Irakli Okruashvili who accused the defence ministry of corruption. Baramidze denied all the claims and although a criminal investigation was started into defence procurement during his time as minister no charges were ever brought against him. [4]
He speaks Georgian, English, Russian and French. Baramidze has a wife and a child.
- ^ http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=8736 Civil.ge news report 6 January 2005
- ^ http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=30211 Jamestown Foundation report April 5 2005
- ^ http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=8640 Civil.ge report 22 December 2004
- ^ http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=8736 Civil.ge report 6 January 2005
[edit] See also
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