"Georgian Dream"'s government would be three months old and three days before this event, the Georgian office found itself in the focus of a staff scandal for the first time.

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili demonstrated that he may "punish" even "favorites" and 39-year-old Irakli Alasania is among them, quite deservedly, by the way. From now on, the Defense Minister is not Vice Prime Minister any more.

What was the reason for discords and what is it fraught with for the Georgian government?

The first impressions on the emotional level are as follows: billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili behaved as a head of the corporation who decided to warn all his employees against any attempts of secret intrigues on the example of Irakli Alasania. The coalition comprises 6 parties - all of them are rather ambitious and don't share each other's viewpoints on such fundamental issues as, for instance, whether Georgia should be a presidential or parliamentary republic.

Alasania's "Free Democrats" and Republican Party are the ostensible favorites of the coalition. The first party supports strong presidential power and the second - solely parliamentary governing. There is nothing bad about political inside "corporation". Vice versa, what is bad is the lack of discussions and  last year's parliamentary elections showed what it led "United National Movement" to. 

Another thing is that most likely, Ivanishvili is not tolerant to the fact when inner discussions are made public or are voiced before the coalition makes a final decision. It's said that earlier, when Ivanishvili was only a businessman he didn't forgive even closest people for their "unfaithfulness".

Alasania admitted that he had "a tough talk" with Ivanishvili a couple of days ago. It happened after "Free Democrats" started openly discussing his candidacy for the post of the President at the elections due in October. Ivanishvili himself said earlier that  he would prefer to see republican Vakhtang Khmaladze in this post. By the way, the latter also mentioned that the subject of holding presidential elections not through universal suffrage but only through parliament had been considered at the level of ideas. 

Thus, inner competition is good but bringing it outside "the corporation" without agreeing with the General Manager is bad. This is Ivanishvili's directive and Alasania admitted he was wrong.  By the way, it's also good: did you often meet politicians who are ready to admit their own mistakes? Knowing Alasania, I suppose he is sincere.
 
Officially, the story is interpreted by all the participants as a decision agreed upon. Ivanishvili will appoint a new Vice Prime Minister, Alasania will fully engage himself in army issues as he's going to make it fully professional within 4 years. But there are still doubts. Or even not doubts, but an unpleasant tinge. Rector of the Georgian Diplomatic Academy Soso Tsintsadze called Alasania's dismissing from the post of the Vice President "first swallow of the 100 years of Bidzina Ivanishivili's government". According to him, the post of the Vice Prime Minister " indicates its closeness to the Prime Minister". So, Tsintsadze thinks, that explanations on what had happened "are not sincere".

Over the years of Mikhail Saakashvili's ruling, a lot of ministers changed in the government and some of them worked in most various posts. Okruashvili was Prosecutor General, head of the Ministry of Interior, Defense Minister and then suddenly - Minister of Economy. Bezhuashvili - Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Secretary of the Security Council, and now his the Head of Georgian Intelligence Service . Baramidze- Minister of Internal Affairs, Defense Minister, State Minister on European Integration. The list can be continued endlessly as the roundabout hardly ever stopped. It couldn't but jeopardize the main areas. But that doesn't at all mean that "Georgian Dream" should repeat the mistakes of its predecessors. It wasn't elected to this end, after all. Maybe, that's was the main reason why Ivanishvili decided to "besiege" the corporation at once.

Mikhail Vignanski is a journalist. He lives and works in Tbilisi.

These views are his own.