Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili submitted his resignation on June 13, driven out of office after mass anti-government protests, originally sparked by the failure to convict the killer of a 16-year-old boy in a high-profile case, resumed. 

Kvirikashvili talked of “disagreements” with the chairman of his Georgian Dream party, billionaire ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, while announcing his resignation.

Georgia’s richest man, Ivanishvilli announced his return to politics in April and will return to the helm of the Georgian Dream party, which founded in 2012.

While Kvirikashvili delivered the news in what seemed to be an amicable atmosphere between the two, Ivanishvilli’s comeback inevitably aroused speculation of what his future relationship with his successor would be, and whether he would again seek the country’s top job. 

While not mentioning Ivanishvilli, Kvirikashvili referred to “different opinions between me and the governing team” over the economic policy pursued by his government that surfaced at the previous day’s cabinet meeting. There had already been rumours that Kvirikashvili and four of his ministers were considering resignation. 

“Also, I would like to emphasise that, especially in recent months, there were a number of fundamental issues in which I had different opinions and positions with the chairman of the party,” Kvirikashvili said in the televised address, according to a transcript posted on his Facebook page. 

"#Georgia PM Giorgi #Kvirikashvili finally resigns. I lost count for how many times he was about to leave, but always managed to stick to his position. Now he leaves only a day after the meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgia Dream ruling council," tweeted CrisisGroup analyst in the South Caucasus Olesya Vartanyan after the news broke. 

Meanwhile, Thomas de Waal, senior associate, Carnegie Europe, commented on the microblogging site: "Sorry to see the departure of Georgian PM Giorgi #Kvirikashvili, a decent man who gave Georgia a respite from turmoil and a lesson in grown-up politics. Fear that his successor will be a step backwards." 

In his resignation speech, Kvirikashvili went on to expand on the economic reforms made during his two and a half years in office, the increase in exports, Georgia’s increasing closeness to the EU and Nato and its openness to dialogue with Russia in the Geneva International Discussions launched after the five-day war between the two countries in 2008. 

However, in recent weeks any achievements by Kvirikashvili’s government have been overshadowed by the protests over the trial of those suspected of killing teenage boys David Saralidze and Levan Dadunashvili in a brawl outside their school — and despite this not being mentioned in Kvirikashvili’s address it is considered to be a key factor in his departure. 

The demonstrations initiated by Zaza Saralidze, the father of David Saralidze, first targeted prosecutors, who he accused of covering up his son’s killer. But as they grew in scale the protests have become an outpouring of anger against Kvirikashvili and his government, who protesters said should resign. 

Saralidze organised two rallies in April and early May, but the protests began in earnest at the end of May when the Tbilisi city court announced it had not managed to determine who actually killed his son, who died from multiple stab wounds days after the incident. 

Chief prosecutor Irakly Shotadze stepped down late on May 31, and openly criticised the verdict, but this failed to end the protests, which have become increasingly targeted against Kvirikashvili. The prime minister’s attempt to talk with protest leaders on May 31 failed dismally as he was booed and shouted down. After a brief hiatus, protesters were back on the streets on June 10, and said they planned to keep up the pressure on Kvirikashvili’s government. 

The protests come amid a turbulent spring in both Georgia and neighbouring Armenia. Earlier this month, thousands of young Georgians protested by holding a dance music party in the square outside the parliament following brutal police raids on a number of popular nightclubs on May 11. Three weeks of mass protests in Armenia in late April and early May forced the resignation of prime minister Serzh Sargsyan. He was replaced by protest leader Nikol Pashinian.