Ruling party chairman Ivanishvili vows to help ruling team manage better to provide welfare

Founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who currently chairs the party political council,responded to questions of journalists yesterday, when he promised Georgians they would feel remarkable differences in their day to day lives within one year.

Three journalists from the top three TV channels in Georgia - Rustavi 2, TV Pirveli and Imedi TV - were invited to ask him questions on 22 October.

Ivanishvili says that many in the country faced economic problems due to taking loans from banks.  

He said that former Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili should have taken timely actions to provide restrictions not to allow the people with low incomes take bank loans. 

He [Kvirikashvili] was late to ensure the restrictions [through the cooperation with the banking sector], which is not a grave mistake, but it played its role [ in creation a negative mood in part of Georgian citizens]. The changes have been implemented by current PM Mamuka Bakhtadze,” Ivanishvili said. 

He also responded a question about the recent UNICEF survey regarding the challenge of poverty in Georgia and stated that the national currency devaluation, not inflation, played its negative role as the poor population failed to pay increased interest rates. 

There was a problem of management [in the ruling team] and i have returned to help the team manage better, as management has always been my strong side,” Ivanishvili said.

Ivanishvili says that he will take “more effective actions” to empower the ruling team and its management capabilities. Photo: Georgian Dream press office. 

Rustavi 2 and scandalous audio recordings

Ivanishvili said that opposition-minded Rustavi 2 TV channel is engaged in “spreading lies” and the audio recordings released by the channel in which the Omega Group business corporation leadership speaks about the governmental pressure are fabrications.  

Ivanishvili said that he never demanded four million GEL from the Omega Group founder Zaza Okuashvili and added that the man is trying to avoid his millions in financial obligations to the state budget.

Ivanishvili also responded to audio recordings released by the same TV channel regarding the high-profile murder case of two teenage boys in December 2017 in a school brawl, and said that comparing the case to the Sandro Girgvliani murder case under the previous state leadership is “shameful.”

Unlike the Sandro Girgvliani case, the current government has no interest not to investigate the [teenagers’ murder] case,” Ivanishvili said.

Ivanishvili says opera singer Burchuladze asked him $9 million

Ivanishvili told journalists that famous Georgian opera singer and founder of the Iavnana foundation Paata Bucrhuladze asked him for nine million USD in 2012 in exchange for joining his party.

Ivanishvili said  that when he decided to defeat the nine-year rule of the United National Movement (UNM) in 2012, he invited Burchuladze to join his team and the latter demanded nine million USD from him instead, as he would have to end his career on the stage.  

I was surprised and with a half-joke calculated his income from the stage at that time and told him that it would [only be] a bit more than one million USD. I also said that there was no need to end his career.

On the next day his wife came to my house and said that two million USD would be a sufficient compensation. I phoned in the evening and said that I would not pay the money,” Ivanishvili said.

Burchuladze, who later founded an opposition movement, frequently criticizes Ivanishvili.

Burchuladze has been summoned by the Prosecutor's Office as the body says that part of the Iavnana Foundation money could have been misspent. Photo: 1TV. 

‘Saakashvili made the Russians’ centuries-long wish come true’

Ivanishvili spoke about the Russia-Georgia war and stated that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili helped the Russians in 2008 to make their centuries-long wish of occupying Georgian lands come true.

Saakashvili was provoked into war, which has provided fatal consequences for the state,” Ivanishvili said.

He says that marijuana export for medical and cosmetic purposes may bring one or several billion in income to the state budget. Photo:Georgian Dream 

"I took part in discussion over the marijuana export bill"

Ivanishvili stated that he was involved in discussions of the marijuana export bill before the bill was presented to the public.

He says that marijuana export for medical and cosmetic purposes may bring one or several billion in income to the state budget.

However, when we saw the negative reaction to the bill from our citizens and the church, we suspended discussions around the bill in parliament.

If the patriarchate persuades us that the initiative may bring negative consequences, the changes will not be carried out, as we never act against the will of our people,” Ivanishvili said.

Ivanishvili and NGOs

Ivanishvili believes  that some Georgian NGOs are satellites of the United National Movement leadership and only aim to discredit the government.

He pointed at Eka Gigauri as an example.

Gigauri is currently the head of Transparency International Georgia. In 2005-2008, she served as the deputy head of the Georgian border police. Ivanishvili and Minister of Justice of Georgia Thea Tsulukiani say that during a peaceful anti-government rally in 2007, Gigauri encouraged UNM officials to disperse the rally. Gigauri denies the claims against her.

Ivanishvili resigned from the premiership in 2013 shortly after the 2012 parliamentary elections. This year he decided to return to politics and now chairs the political council of the Georgian Dream party