PM Bidzina Ivanishvili said on November 22 that he would quit his post and politics in a year and a half “if things go perfectly”, but if “the worst case scenario plays out” he would stay for full term and would even run in next elections.

PM Ivanishvili said for number of times previously that he was not intending to serve his full term and would quit politics and go into civil society in spring, 2014.

He, however, said at a news conference on November 22 that these remarks caused “speculation” that his intended pre-term resignation was aimed at evading responsibility for promises he had given to voters before the elections. If such questions arise, he said, he would not quit.

“There have been lots of speculation about my statement that I plan to quit politics in spring, 2014. I do not change position about it, but I want to make a clarification about it,” PM Ivanishvili said. 

“I will quit only as a victorious in a condition when everything is OK. I will only quit the politics if everything is all right,” he said.

“But if there is no readiness for that and if there are questions that this team [his government] is failing with delivering on its promises… then I will not go anywhere. I will quit only if – as I see it and as I plan – I leave behind maximally effective government and there are no question marks about [the government’s ability] to deliver on our promises.”

“If there are doubts or question marks in the society about our [ability] to deliver on our promises or if there are questions that I am quitting because we are losers and we may fail in next elections, then I will not go anywhere; if such questions arise in the society, I assure the society that I will remain [in office] for the entire [term] and will even compete in next elections if needed.”

“But that would be a worst case for our tenure, but if this worst case scenario plays out, I am ready to stay [in office] for four years and to even compete for staying in power in the next elections,” Ivanishvili said.

“If things go perfectly and if everything goes in accordance to my plan, then it will be better for the society if I quit the politics,” he added.

In case of quitting the post in spring, 2014, Ivanishvili said, he would “go to the civil society” and by doing so he would “strengthen the civil society” to keep the government under close scrutiny and to contribute to development of European-type of society in Georgia, which, he said, would require about twenty years.