<p>The billionaire leader of Georgia's ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is widely seen as the Western-backed country's most powerful man, announced Monday he was quitting politics.</p>.<p>Ivanishvili made the announcement after his Georgian Dream party claimed a narrow victory in a tightly-contested parliamentary election last year that sparked protests.</p>.<p>"My mission has been accomplished," the country's richest man said in a statement.</p>.<p>"I have made the decision to finally retire from politics and fully distance myself from the reins of power."</p>.<p>Ivanishvili said he was stepping down as party chairman ahead of his 65th birthday next month and that it was time to "advance young people to the forefront".</p>.<p>He said he was "returning to my pre-2011, private lifestyle".</p>.<p>Georgia held a parliamentary election in October and November but protests broke out after the first round and the opposition boycotted the second round.</p>.<p>Georgian Dream scored a narrow victory against opposition parties, which accused it of "massively falsifying" the results, claims the ruling party denied.</p>.<p>Georgia became a darling of the West after Mikheil Saakashvili came to power in the 2003 Rose Revolution and instituted reforms to boost democratic institutions and battle corruption.</p>.<p>But a brief war with Russia in 2008 and political infighting has dimmed hopes of the country joining NATO and the European Union.</p>.<p>In power since 2012, Georgian Dream has seen its popularity fall due to discontent over its failure to address economic stagnation and perceived backsliding on commitments to democracy.</p>.<p>Critics accuse Ivanishvili -- who is widely seen to be calling the shots in Georgia -- of persecuting political opponents and creating a corrupt system where private interests permeate politics.</p>.<p>Saakashvili was forced to flee Georgia at the end of his second term as president in 2013.</p>.<p>Ivanishvili became prime minister after Georgian Dream first won a parliamentary election in 2012.</p>.<p>He stepped down in 2013 but since then he has been widely believed to be the man in charge in the tiny Black Sea nation.</p>.<p>He made a political comeback in 2018, when he took over as leader of Georgian Dream.</p>
<p>The billionaire leader of Georgia's ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is widely seen as the Western-backed country's most powerful man, announced Monday he was quitting politics.</p>.<p>Ivanishvili made the announcement after his Georgian Dream party claimed a narrow victory in a tightly-contested parliamentary election last year that sparked protests.</p>.<p>"My mission has been accomplished," the country's richest man said in a statement.</p>.<p>"I have made the decision to finally retire from politics and fully distance myself from the reins of power."</p>.<p>Ivanishvili said he was stepping down as party chairman ahead of his 65th birthday next month and that it was time to "advance young people to the forefront".</p>.<p>He said he was "returning to my pre-2011, private lifestyle".</p>.<p>Georgia held a parliamentary election in October and November but protests broke out after the first round and the opposition boycotted the second round.</p>.<p>Georgian Dream scored a narrow victory against opposition parties, which accused it of "massively falsifying" the results, claims the ruling party denied.</p>.<p>Georgia became a darling of the West after Mikheil Saakashvili came to power in the 2003 Rose Revolution and instituted reforms to boost democratic institutions and battle corruption.</p>.<p>But a brief war with Russia in 2008 and political infighting has dimmed hopes of the country joining NATO and the European Union.</p>.<p>In power since 2012, Georgian Dream has seen its popularity fall due to discontent over its failure to address economic stagnation and perceived backsliding on commitments to democracy.</p>.<p>Critics accuse Ivanishvili -- who is widely seen to be calling the shots in Georgia -- of persecuting political opponents and creating a corrupt system where private interests permeate politics.</p>.<p>Saakashvili was forced to flee Georgia at the end of his second term as president in 2013.</p>.<p>Ivanishvili became prime minister after Georgian Dream first won a parliamentary election in 2012.</p>.<p>He stepped down in 2013 but since then he has been widely believed to be the man in charge in the tiny Black Sea nation.</p>.<p>He made a political comeback in 2018, when he took over as leader of Georgian Dream.</p>