"Ivanishvili has 'surpassed' even Christ by making a third coming. But this is a forced move." Opinion
Georgian political analyst on Ivanishvili
Commenting for Interpressnews on the ruling party Georgian Dream’s candidate list for the parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 26, 2024, political analyst Gia Khukhashvili remarked that the party leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has “surpassed even Christ” by presenting the people with a “third coming.” However, according to the analyst, Ivanishvili made this move “out of necessity, not luxury.”
On September 10, the ruling party Georgian Dream presented its top twenty candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia, set for October 26, 2024. At the top of the list is Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream. The list also includes two Olympic champions.
Gia Khukhashvili:
“The nomination of Bidzina Ivanishvili as the first candidate has both rational and irrational explanations.
The rational explanation is that Ivanishvili has no real hope of Georgian Dream winning the election outright. He may need to form a coalition with another party, and it is important to maintain full flexibility in those negotiations. It’s possible he will need to remove the two Iraklis (Irakli Garibashvili, chairman of Georgian Dream, and Irakli Kobakhidze, prime minister—JAMnews), which could become a condition for forming a coalition post-election.
In negotiations with potential partners, Ivanishvili needs to be impartial and comfortable making decisions. If someone else were the first candidate, it would limit his ability to maneuver, as neither Kobakhidze nor Garibashvili would be acceptable to the opposition as negotiation partners.
Additionally, Ivanishvili understands that he needs political immunity, and therefore he legitimizes his role, partly out of concern for his future.
This is where the irrational explanation comes in, making for a very sad story—the story of Ivanishvili’s third coming. You could say he has surpassed even Christ. But this isn’t a choice made in luxury; it’s a forced and uncomfortable step for him.
After his first official departure from politics in 2013, just a year after being elected prime minister, Ivanishvili was accused of controlling the ruling party Georgian Dream from behind the scenes.
Ivanishvili has already announced his departure from politics twice—once in 2013 and again in 2021—only to return each time. So, this current return marks his third entry into politics.
I believe that in the future, he may aim for the presidency. The presidential role, with its constitutional format, suits him—it provides immunity without the obligation to sit in an office and work around the clock.
As for Georgian Dream’s list as a whole, it is catastrophically weak. Apparently, none of the well-known figures from various fields agreed to join, leaving the party to rely on two athletes.
Moreover, why does the list only consist of 20 people if they are aiming for a constitutional majority? Why not 50? This suggests that they have little hope of securing a large number of parliamentary seats.”
