Maka Botchorishvili, the chair of the Parliament’s European Integration Committee, emphasized transparency as a crucial tool for protecting democratic societies.

Bochorishvili condemned efforts to undermine transparency through disinformation campaigns and blackmail tactics. She emphasized the importance of enacting a transparency law to counter such anti-transparency campaigns effectively.

In her Facebook post, Botchorishvili noted, “It’s truly shameful to witness those purporting to advocate for civil society actively working against initiatives designed to keep our society informed. Transparency should be the cornerstone of any civil society organization, with clear disclosure of their sources of activity”.

“To hinder an elected member of parliament from debating and reviewing legislation aimed at informing the public is an affront to sovereignty and democratic governance.

Attempts to intimidate the public with baseless threats, such as revoking candidate status or restricting visa-free travel, will never make transparency a Russian phenomenon. Portraying transparency as a tool against democracy is an insult to democratic standards. It remains the cornerstone of a healthy democratic society,” she added.