Davit Bakradze

Davit Bakradze დავით ბაქრაძე
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
Personal details
Born	1 July 1972 Tbilisi, Soviet Union (now Georgia)
Political party	United National Movement
Alma mater	Tbilisi State University Georgian Technical University Georgian Institute of Public Affairs
Religion	Georgian Orthodoxy

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.

Bakradze's previous assignments include a member of the Parliament from the United National Movement (April 2004-July 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.^[1]

On June 7, 2008, Bakradze was unanimously elected a chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia at that legislature's inaugural session.^[2] 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.^[3]

In 2013, he 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.^[4]

Bakradze was awarded the Commander's Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by the President of Poland (2010).^[5]

References

1. Georgia: In Surprise Move, Burjanadze Says She Won't Seek Reelection. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. April 22, 2008.
2. Bakradze Elected as New Parliamentary Chairman. Civil Georgia. 2008-06-07.
3. New Parliament Speaker Elected. Civil Georgia. October 21, 2012.
4. UNM's Bakradze Congratulates GD's Margvelashvili. Civil Georgia. October 27, 2013.

External links

• Bakradze - Government of Georgia Website