Badri Patarkatsishvili
On January 3, Badri Patarkatsishvili reversed earlier announced plans to withdraw from the race.
One of the wealthiest and most controversial figures in Georgia, Badri Patarkatsishvili was born and raised in Tbilisi, but made his fortune in Russia during the chaotic 1990s. He oversaw financial affairs for such major enterprises as oil company Sibneft, car manufacturer LogoVAZ, television station ORT, and Aeroflot, the Russian national airline. That experience cemented his image as a close associate of enterprise owner and formerly Kremlin-favored oligarch Boris Berezovsky - a connection which has been cited by Saakashvili supporters to advance the argument that Patarkatsishvili is in league with the Kremlin.
Under Russian President Vladimir Putin, Patarkatsishvili left Russia for Georgia, with several arrest warrants trailing after him. With protection from President Eduard Shevardnadze against extradition, he purchased a Black Sea oil terminal and established Imedi (Hope) broadcasting company, among other investments, while gaining considerable popularity for his support of Georgian culture and sports. As during his time in Russia, however, he was rarely seen in public.
Patarkatsishvili's relations with the Saakashvili administration grew tense in 2006 after he accused the government of pressuring businesses and media. Announcing that he had divested from most of his Georgian businesses, he moved to London, where he now spends most of his time.
Despite an offer from the opposition, Patarkatsishvili declined to take part in the 2006 local elections. But after public accusations from former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili that President Saakashvili had ordered the tycoon's "liquidation," Patakatsishvili has been at center stage politically.
An October 28 pledge to finance the opposition and an expression of support for their manifesto against the Saakashvili administration accelerated tensions with officials. Patarkatsishvili had reportedly handed over his shares in Imedi to co-owner News Corporation for a one-year term. He was removed as head of the Georgian National Olympic Committee and left the Federation of Georgian Businessmen.
A speaker at the November protest rallies in Tbilisi, he has since been accused by prosecutors of planning a government coup and using Imedi for this purpose. Those accusations were used to justify the station's closure. (It later resumed broadcasting on December 12, 2007.) Patarkatsishvili has never been formally charged, however.
The tycoon's platform, however, has remained largely under wraps, with campaign staff deferring elaboration until his return to Georgia to run his campaign. Like other candidates, Patarkatsishvili has argued that Georgia should get rid of the presidency and move toward a parliamentary form of governance. He has also reportedly "found interesting" the idea of a constitutional monarchy, and promised to improve relations with Russia upon election.
As of mid-December Patarkatsishvili had not yet come back; his campaign has demanded a security guarantee that he will not be arrested. Under Georgian law, Patarkatsishvili, as a presidential candidate, has immunity from prosecution, but could lose that immunity upon a CEC vote if criminal charges are brought against him. The government has countered that they cannot provide tighter security guarantees for Patarkatsishvili than for other candidates.
Website:
http://www.patarkatsishvili.com
Address: 21 Bochormis Kucha, Tbilisi
Tel: (995-32) 74-65-18
