Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has dismissed Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze and will replace him with the country's ambassador to Turkey, a senior government official told AFP Monday. Saakashvili will ask Georgia's parliament to approve the nomination of Gega Mgaloblishvili, the former Soviet republic's ambassador to Turkey, to replace Gurgenidze, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Mgaloblishvili will then be asked to form a new cabinet for parliament's approval, the official said, adding that other changes within the government are expected. Saakashvili is expected to make a public announcement of Gurgenidze's dismissal soon, possibly later Monday, the official said. There was no immediate confirmation that Gurgenidze had been dismissed.
It was unclear why Gurgenidze had been fired, but the government has faced criticism for its handling of a war between Georgia and Russia in August over the rebel region of South Ossetia.
Gurgenidze became prime minister last November after his predecessor, Zurab Noghaideli, was sacked following clashes between security forces and opposition supporters on the streets of Tbilisi. Some opposition groups have called for renewed street protests on November 7, the anniversary of the clashes. Gurgenidze, a former commercial bank chief, was seen as a key figure in reforming Georgia's economy and attracting foreign investment.
He led Georgia's efforts to attract Western aid following the war with Russia, which saw Russian forces move into the country on August 8 to repel a Georgian attempt to retake the rebel region of South Ossetia by force. Under a European Union-brokered cease-fire, Russian forces later withdrew to within South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia, which Moscow has recognised as independent states.