Bloomberg publishes article about Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili . Author of the article Helena Bedwell spoke with Svante Cornell, research director at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program in Stockholm, who said that “Ivanishvili’s impact on Georgian politics may be limited because of his lack of experience”.
“His actions so far appear idiosyncratic driven by emotions rather than well-planned,” Cornell said in a telephone interview yesterday. “Siding with the pro-western opposition is positive. I think the government overreacted to his emergence.”
Bloomberg informs that Bidzina Ivanishvili wants to raise as much as $2 billion by selling his Russian assets as he prepares to lead the opposition to President Mikheil Saakashvili in general elections next year.
Ivanishvili, 55, whose wealth was estimated at $5.5 billion by Forbes magazine in March, will sell stakes in Moscow-based Rossiiskiy Kredit Bank and the Doctor Stoletov pharmacy chain as well as his construction and agricultural businesses in Russia. He has no plans to offload assets elsewhere, which account for two-thirds of his wealth. Ivanishvili plans to enter politics and lead an opposition party in parliamentary elections next October. Links to Russia may be a liability after the two countries fought a five-day war in 2008.”, the article reads.