As Georgians vote on Saturday in one of the most important elections in their history, which could shift their trajectory away from the West, all eyes are turning to a reclusive billionaire who runs the country from behind the scenes.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, an oligarch, has dominated the country’s politics for the past 12 years, wielding power from his mansion overlooking Tbilisi, the capital, filled with a vast collection of wild animals (including sharks) rare trees and contemporary art.
Now he and his Georgian Dream party are trying to fight off a challenge from an opposition alliance of pro-western groups whom the government accuses of wanting to drag the former Soviet republic into conflict with Russia.
“This is a campaign where the opposition is campaigning pro-Europe,