Davit Gabaidze has resigned from his position as Chair of the Georgian Dream’s Supreme Council of Adjara. He announced this himself at a briefing held today, March 30.
According to our information, Tsotne Ananidze is expected to take over his post. He currently serves as Chair of the Human Rights Protection Committee in the Supreme Council of Adjara.
Gabaidze began today’s briefing by expressing gratitude, first thanking “Georgian Dream” and Bidzina Ivanishvili.
“I have been thinking for a long time that I should make this decision. I have held this position for almost ten years, and it is truly time to change something in my life,” Gabaidze told journalists. He denied that he had been asked to resign because of Tornike Rizhvadze, as well as claims that the decision was made by the Georgian Dream’s Adjara Government Chair Sulkhan Tamazashvili.
“‘Clan’ is not a term that should be used. Since you mentioned Tornike Rizhvadze, I was already the Chair of the Supreme Council before he came into office. I don’t think it is correct to link these two facts,” Gabaidze noted.
“I will have to stay in the Supreme Council,” said the now former Chair of “Georgian Dream,” adding that he will retain his mandate as a member of the Council, though he may later give it up. He did not specify where he plans to continue working.
When asked whether Tsotne Ananidze would become the new Chair of the Georgian Dream’s Supreme Council, Gabaidze replied that the decision must be made by the council majority, though he added that he “welcomes Tsotne Ananidze’s candidacy.”
Gabaidze served as Chair of the Supreme Council of Adjara for three consecutive convocations, since 2016. Most recently, he was re-elected to the position by “Georgian Dream” after the 2024 elections.
Gabaidze is not the first official in the “Georgian Dream” government to leave office early.
On April 4, 2025, Tornike Rizhvadze, then Chair of the Adjara Government, also resigned. He only posted a Facebook status and has not provided any further explanation to this day.
Davit Gabaidze is related to Tornike Rizhvadze by marriage: specifically, their wives are cousins.
Following Rizhvadze’s resignation, the elected mayors of Batumi and Kobuleti — Archil Chikovani and Levan Zoidze — also stepped down before the end of their terms. This took place in May 2025.
