Bidzin Ivanishvili is not Georgian citizen

Billionaire Bidzin Ivanishvili, who wanted to take part in the coming elections, is not a citizen of Georgia, the National Agency for Civil Registry said.

Ivanishvili received citizenship on July 22, 2004. Then he became a citizen of France. Reception of other citizenship automatically cancels the citizenship of Georgia, according to the law.

Georgia has a five-year residence qualification requirement for any citizen willing to be elected to the parliament. This is the same reason French citizen Salome Zurabishvili failed to become the Foreign Minister.