Ivanishvili to take oath as prime minister of Georgia

03 October, 2012

In the recent concluded parliamentary elections in Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, a politician and a businessman, has been elected to become the next Prime Minister of the country.

IVANISHVILI, BORN on 18 February 1956, is the leader of the coalition, Georgian Dream, which has won the recently concluded parliamentary elections, held on October 1. Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili already conceded defeat on behalf of his party.

Ivanishvili, a one-time poor barefoot village boy who became a billionaire philanthropist has been called on to form the new government. He has promised to continue moving Georgia towards membership in the European Union and NATO and rebuild economic ties with Russia too.

As a village lad, Ivanishvili studied the engineering course at a university in Tbilisi along with working in factory and later did his Ph.D. from Moscow University. After his studies he started his own business of computers and then set up a bank. Fortunately, his bank became extremely successful.

Ivanishvili has strange hobbies, like collecting exotic animals such zebras, flamingoes and kangaroos as well as amassing a unique queer art collection. He does philanthropy without any publicity and is reclusive. He has promised reforms to invite foreign investment and strengthen democratic institutions of Georgia.