Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire and former prime minister of Georgia, has been named the lead candidate for the ruling Georgian Dream party ahead of the parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024. Current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze will serve as the party's number two candidate. Ivanishvili's candidacy comes during a period of political turmoil, particularly surrounding a controversial 'foreign agents' law that mandates organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as 'agents of foreign influence.' This law has triggered significant protests and raised concerns among Western nations about Georgia's democratic integrity. Ivanishvili has defended the law as a means to protect Georgian sovereignty from external pressures, specifically from Western influences. Despite criticisms of authoritarianism, polls indicate that Georgian Dream remains the most popular party in the country as the elections approach.