Georgia: Christian Democrats offer to amend Constitution for Ivanishvili to take part in elections

Today, activists of the Christian-Democratic Movement have moved an initiative to amend the Constitution of Georgia in order to make it possible for the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the coalition "Georgian Dream" to take part in the parliamentary elections.

In October 2011, the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili signed a decree depriving Ivanishvili and his wife of Georgian citizenship. After the decree was challenged in court, the citizenship was returned to the businessman's wife. On January 24 Ivanishvili's lawyers appealed against the court's refusal to restore his Georgian citizenship.

Should Bidzina Ivanishvili eventually receive the citizenship of Georgia, the parliamentary elections in the country will pass in a competitive environment, stated the MP Giorgi Targamadze, the leader of the Christian-Democratic Movement, at the today's press conference.

"Not to waste time on Ivanishvili's repeated address to the Civil Registry Agency (about getting dual citizenship, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"), we propose to make the electoral process accessible for citizens of EU countries, who have lived in Georgia for the last 10 years; that they could enjoy equal rights with citizens of Georgia," said Giorgi Targamadze.

The ruling party – the "United National Movement" – has refused to comment on the opposition's initiative, referring to the fact that it was not officially presented. The oppositional coalition "Georgian Dream" has also refrained from comments on Christian Democrats' proposal.