Khatuna Samnidze: The changes related to the financing of parties are a fiction, which was applied by Georgian Dream to call it a step on the path of de-oligarchization
The changes related to the financing of parties are a fiction, which was applied by Georgian Dream to call it a step on the path of de-oligarchization - in fact, it will not solve the problem that exists in the form of black money related to the ruling party, said Khatuna Samnidze, the chairwoman of the Republican Party.
According to Samnidze, she does not expect Georgian Dream to fulfill its obligations, and elections are decisive in this regard.
"Georgian Dream will not take any steps except for such decisions as, for example, banning the financing of parties by legal entities, which is a fiction. There is no expectation that Georgian Dream will fulfill the 9th conditions. Elections are crucial in this process. By decision of the community, the coalition government will be the force that will work on the recommendations.
As for the changes to the Election Code and the prohibition of party financing by legal entities, this is a fiction in today's reality, which Georgian Dream decided to call a step on the path of de-oligarchization. Today, the financing of political parties by legal entities is very insignificant, because we have political discrimination and political persecution in the country, which scares legal entities to finance opposition parties. The main problem is the black money that circulates during elections and it is related to the ruling party, which will not have a problem with these changes, because they will have individuals who will finance the party in exchange for winning tenders, etc., Samnidze said.
For information, according to the changes planned to be made to the Law on Political Unions of Citizens, initiated by the Georgian Dream faction, political parties will no longer be able to receive financial and material donations from legal entities - legal entities will be prohibited from giving donations to parties.
With the same amendments, the upper limit of the total allowable amount of expenses incurred by the party during the year is reduced from 0.05% to 0.04% of the previous year's gross domestic product.
As Georgian Dream explains, in case of adoption of the said project, Georgia will take into account the recommendation on deoligarchization published by the Venice Commission on June 12, 2023, which specifies the prohibition of the possibility of financing political parties for legal entities.
