Georgia’s Ex-PM Ivanishvili Says President Does Not Understand His Role

TBILISI - Georgia’s former Prime Minister and eccentric billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili on Monday claimed President Giorgi Margvelashvili does not understand the constitutional limitations of his office.

Ivanishvili – who founded the ruling party Georgian Dream (GD) party and once backed Margvelashvili, said at a media scrum in Georgia’s industrial city of Rustavi, made the commends after a journalist demanded an explanation about the continued closure of a regional hospital in 2013, despite Margvelashvili’s promise that the issue would be resolved and the facility re-opened.

“Regarding Margvelashvili's promises, from the beginning, he was not aware of the office of the president's powers. Unfortunately, he is still not aware of them. The national healthcare service is not his field. This is the federal government’s business,” Ivanishvili stated.

This is not the first time Ivanishvili has publicly criticized Margvelashvili. Earlier in September, Ivanishvili said that from the beginning the Georgian Dream held the position that the President should not be elected by the public.

“A public election of a president with such limited rights causes confusion for the voters and the government. It’s my opinion that Margvelashvili, himself, is also confused,” said Ivanishvili.

At the press-conference, Ivanishvili also said that former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili - who served from November 2013-December 2015 amid plummeting public support and intense criticism over his perceived ineffective and often combative governing style - would be a good candidate for the future presidential elections.

“I think Gharibashvili is young, and he can play an important role in Georgia’s politics. He served his term honorably and left his post with dignity. Let us wait for the presidential elections and maybe he will want to come back,” Ivanishvili said while noting that he remains in contact with Gharibashvili.

The United National Movement (UNM), the main opposition party of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, said Gharibashvili would never be able to become a president.

“Gharibashvili is Ivanishvili’s political slave…he will never become president because very soon Ivanishvili will not be the ruler of this country,” UNM member Giga Bokeria said.

The Georgian Dream coalition widely supported Ivanishvili’s suggestion about Gharibashvili.

GD member, Gia Volsky said he would vote for Gharibashvili if he ran for the presidency.

“Gharibashvili is a very good person, and he is very experienced. Let us see what happens in the future. We have not discussed this issue yet,” said Volsky.

This issue of Gharibashvili’s candidacy was met with a mixed reaction from the country’s top political analysts.

Political pundit Gia Khikhashvili believes the acrimonious circumstances surrounding Gharibashvil’s late last year make it impossible to nominate him for the presidency.

“Gharibashvili will not be elected as a president; he only can be appointed. This person has never had political weight, and he proved time and again that his petulance and lack of communication skills failed to connect with voters. Ivanishvili knows this,” Khukhashvili said.

According to political analyst Vakhtang Dzabiradze, Ivanishvili’s statement cannot be taken too seriously before the parliamentary elections.

“I think Ivanishvili was simply trying to answer diplomatically to a question that was put before him. That is all,” said Dzabiradze.

By Thea Morrison

Edited by Nicholas Waller