Bidzina Ivanishvili

42-year-old Irakli Kobakhidze takes over reins of Georgia’s ruling party as billionaire founder steps down

By | January 16th, 2021|Categories: Politics|Tags: , , |

Former party secretary Irakli Kobakhidze was "unanimously" elected as new leader of Georgian Dream. 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 [...]

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Opposition rages in Georgia as Supreme Court sentences key politician to prison term

By | February 10th, 2020|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Gigi Ugulava at Labor Party office making statement upon hearing information about the judgment. (IPN) 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. [...]

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Such campaigns against American NGOs are being run out of the Kremlin: IRI president

By | December 5th, 2019|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , |

Daniel Twining (Twitter). “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 [...]

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Political crisis in Georgia reaches point of no return, opposition starts “permanent” rallies

By | November 26th, 2019|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

Rally at the parliament. (RFE/RL) 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 [...]

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37 detained after police disperses opposition rally in Tbilisi

By | November 19th, 2019|Categories: News|Tags: , |

(1tv.ge) 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 [...]

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Georgian Dream’s alleged electoral deceit urged thousands to rally

By | November 14th, 2019|Categories: News|Tags: , |

(1tv.ge) 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 [...]

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Ivanishvili estimates GD will get at least 100 MPs in Oct 8 election

By | September 2nd, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , |

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. […]

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Offshore Company Spent 3 Years Chasing Ivanishvili’s Passport

By | April 3rd, 2016|Categories: Investigative reports|Tags: |

Bidzina Ivanishvii showing his passport during president election of October, 2013 (DFWatch) 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. […]

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Ivanishvili again blames National Bank for Georgia’s currency woes

By | April 30th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

(Interpressnews.) 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. […]

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Ivanishvili vows justice for murdered businessman in funeral speech

By | April 3rd, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Bidzina Iivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili on Thursday spoke in the funeral of businessman Besik Khardziani, who was murdered at his house a few days ago. He promised that those responsible will be held to account in accordance […]

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Ivanishvili: Georgians don’t forget as easily as UNM thinks

By | March 23rd, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Bidzina Ivanishvili. (GDS.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians don’t want Saakashvili’s party back, former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili predicted Sunday. He appeared as one of the guests in the talk show ‘2030’ on his son’s TV channel GDS. Saturday, the National Movement […]

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Ivanishvili’s latest reprimand: Do they think Margvelashvili is doing magic?

By | January 29th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Imedi TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Bidzina Ivanishvili, the businessman who created the Georgian Dream coalition, on Wednesday criticized the president in an interview with Imedi TV. For the last year, the president and prime minister in Georgia have been in a subdued conflict. […]

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Ivanishvili criticizes Saakashvili’s party for urging youth to join Ukraine war

By | January 29th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Imedi TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili criticizes the party of ex-President Saakashvili, the National Movement, of encouraging youth to volunteer for the war in Ukraine. “[Mikheil] Saakashvili and others who wish to see Georgians going […]

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What did Ivanishvili criticize the Georgian president for?

By | March 20th, 2014|Categories: News, Politics|Tags: , , |

Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili refrained from commenting on criticism from ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili beyond saying it is ‘painful’. In a TV interview, Ivanishvili said Margvelashvili revealed completely different features after the […]

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Ivanishvili dissatisfied with president he recommended

By | March 19th, 2014|Categories: News, Politics|Tags: , |

Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is dissatisfied with the president that he selected as candidate. Ivanishvili selected Giorgi Margvelashvili as the Georgian Dream coalition’s candidate before the presidential election in October […]

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NGO founded by former Georgian PM to offer media training

By | March 18th, 2014|Categories: Media, News|Tags: , |

Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s new organization Citizen is to offer training courses for journalists. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A non-governmental organization founded by former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is to offer training courses for journalists who work for Georgian media outlets. In a statement on Monday, the organization, called Citizen, explained the […]

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Former PM hopes Georgia will become ‘another Dubai’

By | February 5th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishivli says he thinks there is a 25 percent chance that Georgia will become ‘another Dubai’. Ivanishvili said this at a press conference on Tuedsay, where he presented his new non-governmental […]

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Ivanishvili awarded the Supreme Order of Justice

By | November 22nd, 2013|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , , |

Ex Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (right) received the Supreme Order of Justice. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili has been awarded the Supreme Order of Justice. The award is given once a year by the World Jurist Association (WJA) to a person and one cleric for their work for peace and justice. WJA President […]

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Ivanishvili asks economic experts for advice

By | September 27th, 2013|Categories: News|Tags: |

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili Wednesday sat down with a group of economic analysts to find out more about how they view the situation. The PM had brought along quotes from newspapers with statements made by the assembled experts to different […]

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Parlament orders inquest into businessman’s finances

By | December 20th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - An opposition lawmaker aligned with Bidzina Ivanishvili calls for the government to go through the financial activities of the billionaire in order to clear up accusations leveled against him. The request came Tuesday from Giorgi Tsagareishvili, member of the Free Democrats and chairman of the parliamentary faction Unity for Justice. He was responding [...]

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Justice, hope, unity

By | December 12th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgian billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili says the time has come for ‘real Euro-Atlantic integration and not an imitation of the way to Europe.’ The statement came at Sunday’s launch party in the Tbilisi Concert Hall for the new movement called Georgian Dream. At his first press conference November 1 Ivanishvili touched on the [...]

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Patriarch: Everything will be all right

By | November 16th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - It was a moment heavy with symbolism when Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili and Patriarch Ilia II emerged from their meeting Tuesday. “We are pleased that Ivanishvili visited the Antioch today. We have discussed a number of issues, especially the future of Georgia and its current condition. I think everything will be all right,” [...]

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Saakashvili challenger consults with Patriarch

By | November 15th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The main challenger in Georgian politics Tuesday consulted with the country's highly respected patriarch, and received advice about his further steps to claim power.  Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, Georgia's most respected person, met Bidzina Ivanishvili Tuesday at 6 pm, and the businessman afterwards said he received many tips which will help him in his [...]

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Georgian challenger’s allies fired from city hall

By | October 29th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch - As his last best option for entering Georgian politics was blocked, Bidzina Ivanishvili's allies are experiencing unprecedented trouble as two officials aligned with him in the Tbilisi city council are fired from their positions. As if it was not enough that Bidzina Ivanishvili's citizenship was taken away, it is creating a firestorm of [...]

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“We don’t know who Ivanishvili is”

By | October 27th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - Few Georgians doubt that Bidzina Ivanishvili is who he says he is, but now the government refuses him to officially reregister his gun in another person's name, saying they are unable to establish the businessman's identity. The licence to carry a gun was given the businessman November 1, 2010, while was still a Georgian [...]

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New law kills businessman’s plan B

By | October 26th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The government is going to take away financier Bidzina Ivanishvili's last chance to enter Georgian politics, according to a group of experts and NGOs who have seen the details of a new proposal that will make it illegal for organizations and businesses to fund political parties. The proposal comes out of the Ministry [...]

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Court cuts short businessman’s citizenship plea

By | October 25th, 2011|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch - The popular newcomer in Georgian politics was promptly denied having his citizenship restored today by a Tbilisi court, thereby seemingly blocking his progress towards power in the country. Tbilisi City Court ruled against repealing a presidential decree of October 11 which took away Bidzina Ivanishvili and his wife’s Georgian citizenship. The court's ruling [...]

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