Top officials resign amid ‘systemic fluctuations,’ Georgian analyst warns of ‘illusion of power’

Two senior Georgian officials have resigned as political tensions grow within the ruling system, with political analyst Gia Khukhashvili describing the current state of affairs as one of “fluctuations” and internal instability.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Giorgi Chikovani, Director General of the state-owned Oil and Gas Corporation, and Levan Gamkrelidze, head of the Land Transport Agency, have stepped down from their posts. No official reasons were provided for the resignations.

Commenting on the developments, Khukhashvili said the resignations were not isolated incidents but rather part of a broader reconfiguration within the political structure.

“There are fluctuations within the system, and this is one of their manifestations,” he said. “I don’t have the illusion that the system will collapse because of this, but it is certainly regrouping.”

Khukhashvili argued that power remained concentrated in the hands of billionaire founder of the ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

 He claimed Ivanishvili was allowing Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to appear empowered in order to maneuver politically at a time of his choosing.

“The ultimate beneficiary of all of this is Ivanishvili,” Khukhashvili claimed. “Today, he is creating the illusion of power for Kobakhidze to enable decisions to be made at the right moment.”

Khukhashvili also likened the current government to a “sinking ship,” with many within the system hoping to be pushed out rather than exit voluntarily - a safer way, he argued, to avoid fallout or future complications.

“Everyone dreams of being thrown out and relatively painlessly getting off this unreliable ship,” he said, adding that voluntary resignation was often fraught with risk.

Khukhashvili further dismissed claims that the government was launching a genuine fight against corruption, suggesting that recent moves were largely performative and timed to serve the upcoming pre-election period.

“This is not an imitation of the fight against corruption - the main interest lies elsewhere,” he said. “But playing up the illusion of a crackdown will be useful ahead of [municipal] elections.”