TBILISI — Georgia's new prime minister said Thursday he would move quickly to expand the Cabinet powers, ratcheting up pressure on the ex-Soviet nation's beleaguered president. Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose coalition unseated President Mikhail Saakashvili's party in last month's parliamentary election, also strongly urged his bitter rival to move from a lavish presidential palace to a more modest residence. “The buildings, which the Georgian president had had built for himself are more appropriate for a feudal lord than a democracy,” Ivanishvili said at a news conference. He also said that his Georgian Dream coalition controlling the parliament would move to speed up a constitutional reform. The reform due to take effect after Saakashvili's s steps down in October 2013 when his second term ends will transfer most of the presidential powers to the prime minister. But Ivanishvili has moved quickly to establish full control without waiting for the formal transfer of authority. Soon after the election, his Cabinet sharply cut funds earmarked for maintaining presidential residences.
Saakashvili's office had to switch off most of the lights at the brightly-lit presidential palace. The authorities also arrested several former officials in what Saakashvili denounced as political purges. Ivanishvili, who promised to investigate official abuses during his campaign, denied the accusations, saying Thursday that “people are queuing up to the prosecutor's office to report crimes by former officials.” Some analysts speculated that the arrests could be a prelude for a probe against Saakashvili himself.
Ivanishvili said his allies don't have a plan to impeach the president, but added that prosecutors will continue their work. “I personally don't want Saakashvili's arrest, and I think that the society doesn't want it either,” he said. “But if the prosecutors launch a case against top leaders of the country, I will not meddle into that or try to have it closed.” — AP
