Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has urged the Anti-Corruption Bureau to reverse its decision to declare Transparency International Georgia as an organization with “declared election objectives.” This comes after the watchdog announced that it would not be able to observe the October elections under its name.
According to the Prime Minister, TI Georgia’s past activities are evidence that the organization cannot be trusted. He believes that granting the organization legal status will only make it easier for external actors to manipulate the electoral process.
Kobakhidze also stated that TI Georgia has openly conducted a propaganda campaign against the ruling party and has declared electoral objectives. He believes that this is clear to any objective observer.
The Prime Minister supports the Bureau’s decision, stating that it is legally correct and justified. He also mentioned that the decision is in line with the Law on Citizens’ Political Association, which is why the Court ruled in favor of it.
However, Kobakhidze believes that in the interest of the state and to avoid external interference in the electoral process, it would be best to withdraw this status from TI Georgia and any other organization listed by the anti-corruption agency. He noted that TI Georgia was the only organization to announce disobedience to the Bureau’s decision.
Kobakhidze explained that it is clear to Georgian society that TI Georgia has been pursuing a politically radical and manipulative agenda for several years. He cited examples such as the error of civil society organizations in the parallel counting of votes during the 2020 elections and their calls for the government’s resignation and the creation of a “technical government” in 2022. The Prime Minister also believes that the watchdog’s mission is to return the former United National Movement government to power.
He emphasized that TI Georgia does not need to be granted any legal status for the Georgian society to draw appropriate conclusions and exercise caution.
Kobakhidze also pointed out that there are many other local monitoring organizations registered in the Central Election Commission database, and if the Anti-Corruption Bureau acted purely legally, almost all financially larger organizations would have to be classified as organizations with electoral objectives. He believes that this could be used for even more external manipulation.
The Prime Minister once again called on the Bureau to use its discretion and reconsider its decision on TI Georgia. He also urged the Bureau to refrain from making any such decisions regarding other entities before the parliamentary elections.
In conclusion, Kobakhidze stated that organizations working with foreign funds and conducting electoral propaganda are violating the provisions of the Georgian Constitution and that the Bureau should take action to prevent this.
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