Anti-Corruption Bureau: Several opposition parties fail to comply with financial transparency requirements 
Anti-Corruption Bureau: Several opposition parties fail to comply with financial transparency requirements 

Head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau Razhden Kupradze said at the news briefing that several opposition parties fail to comply with financial transparency requirements.

According to Razhden Kupradze, through monitoring, the Bureau determined that political parties European Georgia-Movement for Freedom, Yes to Europe-Strategy Aghmashenebeli, United National Movement, Girchi-For More Freedom, Strong Georgia-Lelo, For People, For Freedom, Elene Khoshtaria-Droa and New Unity-Gvaramia, Melia fully or partially made their finances transparent.

Kupradze went on to say that election campaigns and activities of these parties might be financed by foreign donor organizations or other sources that paid to non-governmental organizations affiliated with these parties.

“Through this scam and with foreign money, the support of political parties and processes jeopardize the fair election process. The non-governmental organizations financed by foreign donor organizations or other sources, together with political party representatives, hold different activities across Georgia and produce information brochures and TV commercials which directly call on society for the support of a concrete party,” he said.

Razhden Kupradze explained that the Georgian legislation prohibits financing political parties by a physical person of no Georgian citizenship, as well as from a legal entity registered in Georgia or abroad.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau decided that all electoral entities should submit a document detailing their financial situation for the last 8 months before August 31, 2024.

“The information about law violations will be provided to international organizations and will hopefully be reflected in election observation reports. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is ready to provide all political parties with consultations and assist them in fulfilling the law requirements,” he said.