The territory’s outgoing leader says the vote will take place in July. But he’ll be out of office by then and neither his successor, nor Russia itself, appear as interested in it as he is.
Many outsiders have been calling on Georgia to take advantage of Russian weakness to reclaim its lost territories. But Georgians themselves aren’t having it.
While Anatoliy Bibilov tried to boost his electoral chances by tying himself more tightly to Russia, analysts say his defeat will still not likely result in any substantial change in relations with Moscow.
The incumbent has come under fire for a controversial military deployment to Ukraine, and it’s not clear that a proposal to annex the territory to Russia will help him.
The dram has gained about 15 percent against the dollar in recent weeks, bolstered by an influx of Russians to Armenia and a move to buy gas in rubles rather than dollars.
What started out as Ukraine’s dissatisfaction with Georgia’s cautious stance on sanctions has grown into a major controversy filled with mutual accusations, insults, and conspiracy theories.
