Zurab Nogaideli Politician, former chairman of the government of Georgia Date of Birth: 22.10.1964 Country: Georgia

1. Biography of Zurab Nogaideli
2. Early Life and Career
3. Political Career
4. Prime Minister of Georgia
5. Protests and Resignation
6. Nogaideli is married and has a son.

Biography of Zurab Nogaideli

Zurab Nogaideli is a politician and former Prime Minister of Georgia. He was appointed to this position in February 2005 and resigned in November 2007. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Nogaideli served as the Minister of Finance from 2001-2002 and 2003-2005. He was also a member of the Georgian parliament and co-founder of the "Green Party" along with the late Zurab Zhvania.

Early Life and Career

Zurab Teymurazovich Nogaideli was born on October 22, 1964, in the Georgian city of Kobuleti, near Batumi. He graduated from the Physics Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1988. After graduation, Nogaideli worked as a senior laboratory assistant at the Institute of Geography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, and later as a research intern at the Institute of Geology of the Estonian SSR Academy of Sciences. From 1989 to 1991, he worked at the Batumi Institute of Archaeology, where he advanced from a junior researcher to the head of a laboratory. During this time, he specialized in the spectral analysis of archaeological findings. Other sources indicate that Nogaideli worked at the Institute of Geography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences from 1988 to 1991.

Political Career

In 1991, Nogaideli, together with Zurab Zhvania, co-founded the "Green Party." In 1992, he was elected to the Georgian parliament, where he became the head of the Committee for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources. He was re-elected in 1995 and served as the Secretary of Parliament Speaker Zhvania. Additionally, Nogaideli was the secretary of the "Union of Citizens of Georgia" party, which supported Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze. In 1999, he was once again elected as a deputy and assumed the position of Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Taxes and Revenues. From 2001 to 2002, Nogaideli served as the Minister of Finance.

Prime Minister of Georgia

On May 2, 2002, Nogaideli was dismissed from his role as Minister of Finance. Officially, this was attributed to the failure to meet budget targets, but some media sources suggested it was to make way for the son of one of Shevardnadze's friends. From 2002 to 2003, Nogaideli worked as a leading consultant for the American company PI Consulting Group, which was involved in the privatization of energy facilities in Georgia. He also served as an advisor to the United Distribution Energy Company of Georgia. In 2003, Nogaideli supported the "Rose Revolution." On November 27, 2003, at the suggestion of one of the leaders of the revolution, Nino Burjanadze, Nogaideli was reappointed as Minister of Finance.

After the death of Prime Minister Zhvania on February 10, 2005, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili nominated Nogaideli as the candidate for Prime Minister. On February 17, the parliament approved Nogaideli for this position. According to Saakashvili's press service, the appointment of Nogaideli was primarily motivated by the need to continue the government's course established by Zhvania. Nogaideli had been Zhvania's closest associate and friend since the beginning of his political career in the early 1990s. However, some observers noted that Nogaideli played a role as a "technical prime minister" in the government, as he lacked sufficient political influence. Georgian Parliament Speaker Burjanadze, commenting on Nogaideli's appointment, stated that it was not necessary for a strong political figure to assume the position of Prime Minister. Rather, it was more important for the Prime Minister to be competent in economic matters. Some media outlets also noted that Nogaideli's ability to establish a rapport with Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin influenced his selection as Prime Minister. Thanks to Nogaideli's efforts, the Russian government decided to restructure Georgia's debt in 2004.

Protests and Resignation

In November 2007, mass protests organized by opposition parties took place in Tbilisi, demanding the resignation of President Saakashvili. The number of participants reportedly exceeded 50,000. On November 7, the police and special forces dispersed a rally attended by around 5,000 people. Tear gas and water cannons were used against the protesters. Nogaideli referred to the actions of the security forces as a "necessary measure." On the night of November 8, a state of emergency was declared in Georgia for 15 days. Independent radio and television stations were suspended, and protests and strikes were prohibited. Nogaideli explained to the media that the state of emergency was imposed due to an alleged attempted coup in Georgia.

On November 16, 2007, President Saakashvili announced Nogaideli's resignation as Prime Minister during a government meeting. The head of the "Bank of Georgia," Lado Gurgenidze, was presented as Nogaideli's replacement. The official reason for Nogaideli's resignation was not disclosed. Some media outlets speculated that his health problems prevented him from fulfilling his duties. Another theory suggested that Gurgenidze would be better equipped to implement social policies, which gained particular significance ahead of the early presidential elections scheduled for January 5, 2008.

Nogaideli is married and has a son.