Georgia Ruling Party Approves Cabinet With Kobakhidze as Premier

Georgian lawmakers approved Irakli Kobakhidze to continue as prime minister even as members of the opposition pressed on with a boycott in protest of last month’s parliamentary election results.

The ruling Georgian Dream party nominated Kobakhidze and others confirmed for cabinet posts today. The party’s lawmakers convened parliament earlier this week for its first session after receiving 89 of 150 assembly seats in the Oct. 26 vote. The ruling party later set Dec. 14 as the date for presidential elections, and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s founder, announced on Wednesday that former footballer and current lawmaker Mikheil Kavelashvili would be their candidate.