Anti-Corruption Bureau Revokes 'Political Actor' Status of TI Georgia After Prime Minister's Request
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, October 3, 2024
The Anti-Corruption Bureau of Georgia has removed the status of "political actor with declared electoral objectives" from Transparency International-Georgia (TI Georgia), one of the country's leading election watchdogs. The decision came just a day after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze publicly called for the reversal during a special briefing on October 2.
Razhden Kuprashvili, head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, announced the move, stating that it was in the "interest of the country" to revoke the designation. Kuprashvili explained that both TI-Georgia and its director, Eka Gigauri, were no longer required to disclose financial information related to political activities. "It is sad that the organization whose name is associated with transparency turned out to be the first to refuse transparency," Kuprashvili remarked during the briefing.
The initial classification of TI-Georgia as a political actor required the organization to reveal its funding sources and how the money was spent, particularly in the context of the upcoming elections. Kuprashvili suggested that financial transparency would have shown how public opinion was influenced by the organization and implied that TI-Georgia had a hidden agenda regarding international discussions on Georgia's visa liberalization.
Kuprashvili also took the opportunity to criticize civil society organizations more broadly, accusing them of operating without transparency and hiding their financial activities from the public. He argued that this lack of disclosure could undermine citizens' ability to make informed decisions.
The Bureau's decision follows widespread criticism of its perceived lack of independence from government influence. Kuprashvili defended the Bureau, asserting that its actions uphold "the highest standards" and are in line with European Court of Human Rights practices.
