“The Georgian Dream, which claims to combat corruption, has actually started to formally legitimise it,” said Ketevan Bakaradze, a member of the Gakharia for Georgia party.

According to Bakaradze, “Today, Georgian Dream is not fighting corruption; it is fighting to protect it. The recent legalisation of corruption is clear evidence of this.”

“Kobakhidze’s government amended the resolution of the Georgian authorities entitled “On the Approval of Rules for Social Protection and Material Support for Employees of the State Security Service”. The amendment stipulates that employees of the state security services, including those with special or military ranks, as well as freelance and auxiliary staff, will be granted ownership of their state-owned apartments, houses, auxiliary buildings, and land plots, rather than merely use rights, upon request.

The stated aim of this resolution is to support employees during their period of employment. However, in the event of dismissal, transferring state property into ownership cannot be justified as a matter of service, and this undermines the very purpose of the regulation.

Furthermore, this resolution was adopted at a time when 35,000 displaced families had been waiting for housing for three decades. These families receive only GEL 45 allowance from the state. It was passed in a reality where, despite recent reports about the plight of displaced persons, the state itself is leaving many people homeless. These reports barely capture the full extent of the suffering endured by those who have lost their homes and lived through war. As someone from Abkhazia, I have worked with displaced families for years. I stay in constant contact with IDPs and am familiar with their daily struggles, their challenges, and their unfulfilled dream of having a roof over their heads, a place where they no longer live in fear of eviction.

This resolution was adopted in a context where, just a few months ago, a displaced man resorted to the most extreme form of protest by setting himself on fire outside the ministry. It was also adopted in a situation where, just weeks ago, dozens of families were evicted from Tvalchrelidze Street. They left large, socially vulnerable families, displaced persons, and individuals with disabilities without housing,” Bakaradze said.