Davit Bakradze

Davit Bakradze (Georgian: დავით ბაქრაძე) (born July 1, 1972) is a Georgian politician and diplomat who served as the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia from June 7, 2008, to October 21, 2012.

For a current Georgian government minister, see Davit Bakradze (born 1975).

Davit Bakradze დავით ბაქრაძე
Chairman of European Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 May 2017
Preceded by	party established
Leader of the Parliamentary Minority
In office 21 October 2012 – 11 March 2019
Preceded by	Giorgi Targamadze
Speaker of the Parliament
In office 7 June 2008 – 21 October 2012
Preceded by	Nino Burjanadze
Succeeded by	David Usupashvili
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 31 January 2008 – 5 May 2008
Prime Minister	Lado Gurgenidze
Preceded by	Gela Bezhuashvili
Succeeded by	Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili
State Minister for Conflict Resolution issues
In office July 2007 – 31 January 2008
Prime Minister	Zurab Noghaideli Giorgi Baramidze (acting) Lado Gurgenidze
Preceded by	Merab Antadze
Succeeded by	Temur Iakobashvili (as State Minister for Reintegration)
Chairman of the United National Movement
In office September 2014 – 13 January 2017 De facto[lower-alpha 1]
Preceded by	Mikheil Saakashvili
Succeeded by	Mikheil Saakashvili
In office May 2008 – July 2012
Preceded by	Nino Burjanadze
Succeeded by	Vano Merabishvili
Member of the Parliament of Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2008
In office 22 April 2004 – 7 September 2007
Personal details
Born	(1972-07-01) 1 July 1972 Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR
Political party	European Georgia (2017-)[1] United National Movement (2002-2017)
Alma mater	Tbilisi State University Georgian Technical University Georgian Institute of Public Affairs

Bakradze's previous assignments include a member of the Parliament from the United National Movement (April 2004-September 2007), Minister for the Conflict Issues (July 2007-January 2008), Minister of Foreign Affairs (January 2008-April 2008), and the President of Georgia's special envoy to NATO and the European Union (April 2008-June 2008). He is a First Class State Counselor and holds a diplomatic rank of Chief Minister Counselor.

Early life and education

David Bakradze was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR. He was educated at Georgian Technical University and the Georgian Institute for Public Affairs (GIPA) as well as gaining a Doctor's degree in Physics and Mathematics from Tbilisi State University. Apart from numerous high-profile government positions Bakradze has been actively involved in various educational programmes attending the Swiss International Relations Institute in Geneva, in 1997, and studying at George Marshall European Centre for Security Studies in Germany in 1998. In 2001 Bakradze graduated from NATO Defence College, Rome, Italy. He has served in the National Guard of Georgia Reserve and is a lieutenant commander.

Political career

Bakradze has been actively involved in Georgian politics since 1997. He worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia from 1997 to 2002, and for the National Security Council of Georgia from 2002 to 2004. In April 2004, he was elected to the Parliament of Georgia from the United National Movement (UNM) led by the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. He chaired the Parliamentary Committee for the Euro-Atlantic Integration until July 19, 2007 when he was appointed as a Minister for the Conflict Issues, and hence, a chief negotiator in the Abkhazian and South Ossetian affairs. In January 2008, he became the Foreign Minister of Georgia in the cabinet of the Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze.

On April 21, 2008, Bakradze was named to lead the UNM party list in the parliamentary election scheduled on May 21, 2008. This decision came after the chairperson of the outgoing parliament, Nino Burjanadze, refused, in a surprise move, to lead the party list due to her disagreement with the UNM leadership.[2]

On June 7, 2008, Bakradze was unanimously elected a chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia at that legislature's inaugural session.[3] In 2012 he was again selected again selected to lead the UNM list for the October 1 parliamentary election, which was won by the Bidzina Ivanishvili-Georgian Dream opposition coalition. Consequently, Bakradze became the leader of the parliamentary minority, being succeeded by David Usupashvili, a Georgian Dream member, as the chairman of the parliament.[4]

In 2013, Bakradze was selected to be the UNM's candidate through internal party election, primaries for the 27 October presidential election. He ended up second in the race and, shortly after the exit poll results were announced, congratulated Georgian Dream's candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili on victory.[5] In the 2018 election, he came in third and received nearly 11 percent of the vote; for the run-off, he announced he would support Grigol Vashadze in the second round.[6]

Recognition

Bakradze was awarded the Commander's Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by the President of Poland (2010).[7]

Notes

1. The Chairmanship was officially vacant, as Mikheil Saakashvili was not in the country.

References

1. http://georgiatoday.ge/news/5597/Georgia%E2%80%99s-Opposition-UNM-Splits-into-Two
2. Georgia: In Surprise Move, Burjanadze Says She Won't Seek Reelection. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. April 22, 2008.
3. Bakradze Elected as New Parliamentary Chairman Archived 2011-05-21 at the Wayback Machine. Civil Georgia. 2008-06-07.
4. New Parliament Speaker Elected. Civil Georgia. October 21, 2012.
5. UNM's Bakradze Congratulates GD's Margvelashvili. Civil Georgia. October 27, 2013.
6. Margarita Antidze (October 29, 2018), Georgia presidential vote heads for runoff in setback for ruling party Reuters.
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-03-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Bakradze - Government of Georgia Website

Political offices
Preceded by Gela Bezhuashvili	Minister of Foreign Affairs 2008	Succeeded by Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili
Preceded by Nino Burjanadze	Speaker of the Parliament 2008–2012	Succeeded by David Usupashvili