Georgian diplomats accused of political bias

A couple of days ago Transparency International Georgia disseminated information that implicates diplomats at the Georgian Embassy in the United States of attempting to discredit opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream coalition. This was purportedly accomplished by sending politically biased information to American officials via emails. Amnesty International claims that one of the Georgian employees of the embassy was sending emails to officials in the USA.

Analysts suggest that this is against the law, as those within the diplomatic service should maintain political neutrality and not serve the interests of any of the parties. However, independent analysts suggest that today in Georgia, the interest of the state and that of the ruling party have merged.

Washington officials were given translations and interpretations from Georgian media sources. One of which is an editorial from Asaval-Dasavali, a Georgian newspaper that was once highly regarded by Ivanishvili that harshly criticizes outgoing ambassador John Bass. What it most significant it the fact that Transparency International Georgia received this information from the American respondents.

Some analysts in Georgia suggest that Georgian state bodies, particularly the diplomatic service, are subordinate to the interests of the ruling power. Former diplomat and now a member of the opposition Free Democrats Party, Victor Dolidze said, there is a similar situation that exists in the embassies of Georgia in other countries as well.