Ivanishvili stands by his party for upcoming elections without returning to politics

Georgia’s Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani has stated that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the Georgian Dream coalition (GD) and the former Prime Minister, does not intend to return to politics for the upcoming 2016 parliamentary elections, but the billionaire will stand by his party for the elections.

“Former Prime Minister Ivanishvili has said many times - and he has just reiterated at the GD party meeting - that he will be beside the coalition during the elections,” Tsulukiani said.

As for the Georgian Dream election list, the Minister of Justice said she was not familiar with it, but she said that her “Georgian dream” was an election list wherein out of each five candidates, two are women.

"Bidzina Ivanishvili is not going to return to politics, but he will be beside the coalition’s political parties in the pre-election processes. I am not familiar with the Georgian Dream electoral list. I very much hope that out of each five candidates in the list two will be women. This is my biggest Georgian dream,” said the Minister.

The opposition claims that Ivanishvili, while remaining out of the spotlight, still rules the country behind the scenes.

They have urged the former official to return to politics and become directly involve in the electoral process.

Ivanishvili’s current intentions will not remove speculations that he actually runs the state, which damages the country’s democratic image.

On the other hand, Ivanishvili might refrain from direct participation in the elections as his present rating might be much lower compared to 2012, when the Georgian Dream, with the leadership of Ivanishvili, defeated ex-President Mikheil Saakahsvili’s United National Movement.

As Ivanishvili’s rating might be low, the Georgian Dream coalition will need some new figures or configurations for the 2012 parliamentary elections, as the recent by-elections in Sagarejo region this year, wherein the GD candidate slightly defeated the Patriot Alliance opposition candidate, confirmed this negative tendency for the coalition.

All in all, GD will definitely need Ivanishvili’s money for the elections, but money alone is unlikely to be enough with the population's reduced faith in the party.