Dossier publishes new material on Patriots Alliance
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Wednesday, September 2
The dossier of the Russian opposition and businessman Mikhail Khadarkovsky's organization has published two parts of an investigation into the financing of the Patriots Alliance and Russian ties. The investigation reveals that the party is aided by individuals close to the Kremlin in planning the election campaign, who, in turn, are controlled by high-ranking Russian intelligence officials.
The second part of the investigation, published on 31st of August, discusses the visit of party leaders to Abkhazia, election clips, and pre-election activities.
The dossier describes that the publication of the first part of the investigation coincided with the visit of the leaders of the party to Abkhazia, which led to great dissatisfaction with them. According to published documents, they sought help from Moscow in preparing to repel this discontent. The document contains theses that they should have used in their comments to the media, as well as pre-prepared answers. Among them we read the following phrases: “The purpose of the visit was charitable”; “We interviewed more than a million people and 70% are in favor of direct dialogue with Sokhumi, Tskhinvali, and Moscow. We serve the national interests through public diplomacy”; “There are those who do not like public diplomacy. They take up arms, and we are accused of treason. Who does this and why? Those who want to make money through war, those who arrange for our children to die” and such.
The ‘strategy’ listed in the documents lists the pre-election activities that the “Patriots Alliance” should carry out. For example, it says:
In late August and early September, Adjara residents must picket the parliament building, which can be organized by a new force, such as the newly formed Informal Committee for the Protection of Adjara and others.
Majoritarian Candidates' Action - "Take the Children to School", which means handing over school supplies to poor families.
Legislative initiative - All Georgians living abroad, including in Russia, should be able to participate in elections, opening polling stations, including in Russia.
On August 28th, St. Mary's day, leaders arrived at a monastery to be presented with an icon by David Tarkhan-Mouravi - handing over a gift to the monastery/church from the Georgian Church in Russia (possibly through Archil Chkoidze). In response, they will give a similar gift to the Georgian Church in Moscow. The aim is to show that the position of the Alliance of Patriots and the Georgian Orthodox Church is similar in key issues - “to restore brotherly relations with Russia.”
The documents also show how the campaign is planned to be run on social networks:
By September 5th - Find young bloggers who are ready to meet, meet a party member, and post information about the meeting; By September 27th - Patriotic Song Contest. Online flash mob “Singing Together;” By October 1st - Launch flashmob on social networks ‘Support March’ media celebrities, athletes, doctors, actors, etc. that support the party.
The organization also publishes documents where, according to them, the party corresponds with Russian instructors. According to these documents, they are arguing with the party from Moscow because of their lack of speed.
Regarding the election clips, we read in the response of the party that they will gather about 80 people, and by the end of August, they will make videos in which these people express support for the party.
The documents also show that the Alliance of Patriots does not follow all the advice. For example, it seems that they were asked to hold a rally on the anniversary of the war, in response to which they wrote to Russian instructors:
“As for the August war, programs with the participation of Irma and David were aired on August 6, 7, 9, and 10. Only clips were aired on August 8. These programs have already provoked a reaction from Mikheil Saakashvili. "We won’t be forgiven for organizing a rally on this topic on this day,” they wrote from Tbilisi.
According to the center, these documents include financial schemes related to the Patriots’ Alliance in Georgia and previous election instructions. Dossier writes that political technologist close to the Kremlin Sergei Mikheev, who heads the company POLITSECRETS in Moscow, was hired for the party's PR.
On August 24th, Dossier released an extensive investigation into the Kremlin's direct support for the Patriots Alliance, both financially and in terms of campaign planning.
The Audit Office sent a letter to the Patriots Alliance requesting information about the finances.
The Audit Service is paying close attention to party revenues and expenditures during the pre-election period, including the finances of the Patriots Alliance.
The Prosecutor's Office applied to the Audit Service about the financing of the Patriots Alliance, which was requested by Elene Khoshtaria to investigate the financing of the pro-Russian party. The majoritarian candidate of European Georgia applied to the agency on August 25th. On August 31st, she received a response from the prosecutor's office that there was no reason to launch an investigation into the Patriots Alliance.
“It turns out that there is no basis for the investigation and they only applied to the audit service. It seems like it is a normal case where they have to find out the accuracy and transparency of financial issues,” said Khoshtaria.
According to Irma Nadirashvili, a member of European Georgia, the party has taken the initiative to apply to the Constitutional Court to remove the Patriots Alliance from the parliamentary elections.
According to Nadirashvili, the consent of 30 members of parliament is required to discuss the issue and the signatures of 20 opposition MPs already exist. The member of European Georgia asked the members of the management team to add the rest of the signatories.
Irakli Kobakhidze, one of the leaders of the Georgian Dream, says that the party rules out forming a coalition with the Alliance of Patriots.
Gia Volski, a member of the parliamentary majority, said he could not be a lawyer for the Patriots Alliance, but ‘raising the issue of removal because the paper is not serious.’ This is how he responds to the investigation into the dossier, according to which the Kremlin is helping the Alliance of Patriots in the elections. He says, if confirmed that the Patriots’ Alliance is funded by Russia, it would end the party.
“The allegations are so absurd..this is ridiculous,” said Giorgi Lomia, a member of the Patriots’ Alliance, responding to an investigation published by the Dossier, according to which Russia was trying to interfere in Georgia's elections through the Patriots Alliance.
Assessing Russia's influence in the Georgian elections, US Ambassador Kelly Degnan said it was expected and everything should be done against it.
“If we look at other elections, including the one held in the US years ago, it is clear that the country must do everything possible to protect its electoral system. The US and other international partners are implementing various programs to better understand what misinformation is.” the ambassador said.
Political parties and their leaders have a responsibility to provide the right information to the population on various important issues so that voters can be informed about the October elections and be able to make decisions in a free environment, without intimidation.
