Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire dividing Georgians

Some adore Bidzina Ivanishvili for defending Georgian traditions. Others see him as a Russian ally.

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It's a picture postcard settlement where the roads are good, the houses well-maintained and there are plenty of blue and yellow flags of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

"All this area where you can see new houses and roads was made by our man. There was nothing without him and he did everything for us," says resident Mamia Machavariani, pointing at the village from a nearby forest.

Ivanishvili founded Georgian Dream (GD) and the party has been in power for 12 years.

For more than four months, Georgians have taken to the streets across the country to accuse Ivanishvili's party of rigging elections last October and accusing GD of trying to move the country away from its path to the EU and back into Russia's sphere of influence.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vzqgq5139o

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