Ruling party head says former PM “does not qualify” as oligarch

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former Prime Minister and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, could not fall under the definition of an oligarch as he had retired from politics by “his own decision” and there was “no evidence” of his interference in either politics or media since.

Bidzina Ivanishvili retired from politics by his own decision. It happened about a year and a half ago, and since then there has been no evidence of his interference in any way either in politics or media. Therefore, Bidzina Ivanishvili cannot fall under the definition of an oligarch”, the GD official said in an interview with TV Imedi.

Kobakhidze stressed that over the years Ivanishvili had spent $3 billion in Georgia for charity purposes.

The public knows a lot about how he helped people, [financed] restoration of temples, theatre venues, and so on. There are many facts about this. He earned nothing in Georgia [...] - on the contrary, he donated $3 billion to charity purposes”, Kobakhidze said.

The comments follow Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday saying the “de-oligarchisation” qualification - one of the priorities outlined by the European Council for Georgia to be granted the European Union membership candidate status - was “not really a challenge” in the country.

Garibashvili said the Government would have consultations with EU bodies over the matter to “get more specifics and explanations” about the clause.

The head of the Government stressed Ivanishvili was not an oligarch - as claimed by the domestic opposition forces - but first a philanthropist and “only then” the founder of a political party.