Georgian parliament voted for the new Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze and approved a new cabinet on Thursday, Russian news agencies reported.

 

Gurgenidze was nominated for the post of prime minister on November 16 after his predecessor, Zurab Nogaideli, resigned citing health problems.

 

A total of 155 lawmakers in the 235-seat legislature voted to approve the new prime minister and leave all four state ministers in place. Eleven of 13 other ministers also kept their posts, including the foreign, defense and interior ministers.

 

Georgia will antedate its presidential elections from autumn to Jan. 5 next year, President Mikhail Saakashvili said in a televised address to the nation on Nov. 8.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2007)