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RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE IVANISHVILI STRIPPED OF GEORGIAN CITIZENSHIP
Tert.am
20:57 ~U 11.10.11
The Georgian authorities have deprived Bidzina Ivanishvili, a
Georgian-born billionaire living in Russia, of his citizenship,
citing the nation's ban on dual citizenships.
According to the RIA Novosti, the move came after Ivanishvili said last
week he was ready to sell his businesses in Russia and give away his
Russian and French passports in order to challenge incumbent Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili's party in next year's parliamentary
elections.
Bidzina Ivanishvili has been ranked 25th by Forbes in its list of
Russian businessmen with an estimated fortune of $5.5 billion.
The Georgian Justice Ministry issued a statement saying Ivanishvili
was granted French citizenship after receiving his Georgian passport
in July 2004.
"Proceeding from this, given the provisions of the Georgian
constitution and the organic law on Georgian citizenship, Bidzina
Ivanishvili's Georgian citizenship has been suspended," the statement
reads.
According to the Georgian constitution, a Georgian citizen cannot
simultaneously be a citizen of another state.
The document does not specify when Ivanishvili was granted his French
passport.
On October 7, Ivanishvili announced plans to set up a political
party uniting "healthy" political forces in Georgia with the goal of
achieving an absolute majority in 2012 elections.
The 56-year-old businessman said in a statement his decision was "due
to the total monopoly held by Mikheil Saakashvili and the recently-made
constitutional amendments which demonstrated Saakashvili's desire to
stay in power regardless of all constitutional terms."
The businessman said he was ready to assume the post of Georgian
prime minister or parliamentary speaker.
Tert.am
20:57 ~U 11.10.11
The Georgian authorities have deprived Bidzina Ivanishvili, a
Georgian-born billionaire living in Russia, of his citizenship,
citing the nation's ban on dual citizenships.
According to the RIA Novosti, the move came after Ivanishvili said last
week he was ready to sell his businesses in Russia and give away his
Russian and French passports in order to challenge incumbent Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili's party in next year's parliamentary
elections.
Bidzina Ivanishvili has been ranked 25th by Forbes in its list of
Russian businessmen with an estimated fortune of $5.5 billion.
The Georgian Justice Ministry issued a statement saying Ivanishvili
was granted French citizenship after receiving his Georgian passport
in July 2004.
"Proceeding from this, given the provisions of the Georgian
constitution and the organic law on Georgian citizenship, Bidzina
Ivanishvili's Georgian citizenship has been suspended," the statement
reads.
According to the Georgian constitution, a Georgian citizen cannot
simultaneously be a citizen of another state.
The document does not specify when Ivanishvili was granted his French
passport.
On October 7, Ivanishvili announced plans to set up a political
party uniting "healthy" political forces in Georgia with the goal of
achieving an absolute majority in 2012 elections.
The 56-year-old businessman said in a statement his decision was "due
to the total monopoly held by Mikheil Saakashvili and the recently-made
constitutional amendments which demonstrated Saakashvili's desire to
stay in power regardless of all constitutional terms."
The businessman said he was ready to assume the post of Georgian
prime minister or parliamentary speaker.