TBILISI, DFWatch-–Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and honorary chairman of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, has declined a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan, explaining that he would not be free to represent the country’s interests while under sanctions. Dunnigan had sought to deliver a message from the Trump administration regarding the reset in U.S.-Georgia relations, following … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ruling party on Saturday elected former party secretary Irakli Kobakhidze as new chairman, after its billionaire founder stepped down. The choice of a new leader and new composition of the political council at the party convention are important developments for the party that came to power in 2012 and secured election in 2016 … Read more
The political confrontation in Georgia hit another low point on Monday after the Supreme Court sentenced Giorgi “Gigi” Ugulava, key opposition politician, to 3 years in jail for diverting public funds during his tenure as Tbilisi Mayor in 2005-2013. Opposition claims it’s a political persecution and the government led by Georgian Dream is steadily drifting … Read more
“I am a little surprised to be talking about this in the context of Georgia, because such a campaign against American NGOs is being run out of the Kremlin […] When we hear foreign politicians, foreign governments, attacking American NGO’s it is usually in cases like Russia and China, where there is no political freedom, … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The confrontation between the Georgian Dream (GD) government and the opposition appears to have reached a point of no return, as the former on Monday flatly ruled out any chance of changing the electoral system. Kakha Kaladze, the Tbilisi mayor who has been front man for the GD the last few days, said at … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–37 people were detained in Tbilisi on Monday after riot police dispersed a group of opposition activists blocking the parliament to protest its failure to amend the electoral law. Four people, including two police officers, have sustained injuries, the police said. The police and protesters clashed at the entrance of parliament after the latter … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Thousands of people rallied onTbilisi’s Rustaveli Ave on Thursday, after parliament failed to adopt a bill to use a proportional system during the 2020 general elections. The switch to proportional system, a long-standing demand by almost the entire opposition spectrum, was a promise by the ruling Georgian Dream party in the wake of “Gavrilov Night” protests … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Bidzina Ivanishvili is confident that the governing Georgian Dream party, which he founded, will have at least 100 seats in the next parliament.
The billionaire businessman says he cannot imagine that Georgian Dream will get less than 90 MPs in the next assembly.
By Nino Bakradze and Dave Bloss
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
TBILISI, REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA — Bidzina Ivanishvili’s wealth is not all hidden away in vaults. His 108,000 square foot glass house perches on a hill above the capital city of the country he returned to rule as prime minister after leaving for neighboring Russia as a young man and accumulating billions of dollars before moving back to Georgia in 2004.
TBILISI, DFWatch–Businessman and retired politician Bidzina Ivanishvili has again blamed the National Bank for not helping to prevent a drop in the Georgian lari.
“I suspect that the National Bank is still acting inadequately,” he told journalists on Thursday.