Bidzina Ivanishvili, the head of Georgia’s ruling party and the country’s wealthiest man, said on Monday he was leaving politics for good.

As he noted in his letter, " he is disappointed that a constructive opposition could not be created in Georgia".

"I will honestly and candidly say that at the end of my political activities, one of the things that worries me and gives me pause for thought is the fact that no state-oriented and responsible opposition has yet been formed in the country that would meet the minimal standards of European parliamentary democracies. I have never been of the opinion that the existence of a torpid and lifeless opposition would have been desirable to the authorities. It is the content of their criticism and the endless unconstructiveness that I find astonishing, rather than the fact that the opposition is trying to portray the activities of the authorities in a negative light, which is necessary and useful for a democracy. Let us once again take a look at the main tactics of the political struggle, over the years, of the main opposition parties, certain nongovernmental organizations that wordlessly execute their political agenda, and pseudo-free media outlets that are in a state of complete subservience. If we analyze this objectively, we will easily conclude that their strategic goal has always been to artificially agitate people and manipulate emotions while creating informational chaos and instilling fear, mistrust, and uncertainty through fake news. I would like to remind you that my family and I have constantly been the main targets and recipients of their abusive propaganda and lies during these past eight years. Naturally, listening to this was sad and unpleasant for me; however, personal emotions and, moreover, anger have never served as the basis for any decisions on my part.

In general, it is very disappointing to see certain media outlets that are in the service of a politically bankrupt party, which have become completely divorced from the essence and function of the media, as well as a sense of basic standards. Lies and propaganda based on falsehood, which remained the main political tool of the former ruling team that moved into opposition, have remained a problem during the rule of the Georgian Dream. Although the problem of fake news is a concern for the entire civilized world, in the case of Georgia, its scale has reached unimaginable depths. Unbridled propaganda has completely alienated ordinary viewers from television in the process. Lies, slander, and the manipulation of facts have become the point of origin of the editorial policies of some media outlets, which has nothing in common with the function of informing the public. It is unfortunate that along with partisan journalists, individuals labeled as experts are also involved in this merry-go-round with particular enthusiasm; against the backdrop of a lack of professional knowledge and with the motive of self-interest, these persons have developed into spokespersons supporting the political opposition.

What is disturbing is that rather than taking active part in the progress and development of the country, the goal of the opposition, which had organized and conducted this vicious propaganda, was and is to obstruct the authorities as much as possible and to thwart and hinder efforts aimed at the welfare of the people. As Ilia the Great said, "You should not scold others for acting righteously, even if you yourself choose not to.", Ivanishvili said in his letter.

Ivanishvili is head of the Georgian Dream party and served as prime minister in 2012 and 2013.