Georgian PM-designate says to leave politics in 18 months

Georgian Prime Minister-designate Bidzina Ivanishvili said Wednesday that he would quit politics in a year and a half. However, the billionaire, whose Georgian Dream coalition beat President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM) and won 85 out of the 150 seats in the unicameral legislature in the recent parliamentary election, added that he would not leave the South Caucasus country. "I will leave a team which will keep all of our promises. ... I will not shun responsibility for these promises," he said at a meeting in the second largest city of Kutaisi. "I am going to be one of the active members of the public sector and, together with the civil society, to control the government, because our big problem is inexperience of the civil society," he added. The expected new prime minister told UNM lawmakers that he would not exert pressure on the opposition and would "necessarily take into view all your constructive opinions." The parliament is scheduled to hold a plenary session on Thursday, when lawmakers are expected to endorse the Ivanishvili-led new cabinet.