Gia Volski: As long as there is a problem with transparency, it remains a legitimate question whether money is entering the political field—money that is controlled by parties or by organizations receiving donations, including television stations

Whether it’s an embassy or any other donor, they must publish information about the amount of incoming funds and the projects they are financing. I believe neither the Speaker of Parliament, nor his deputy, nor any member of the political team should have a problem with fulfilling this demand, said the First Vice Speaker of Parliament, Gia Volski, responding to the statement made by the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament regarding the British Embassy.

According to Volski, if Western countries comply with this requirement and ensure transparency, all kinds of question marks will be removed from the agenda.

"I believe neither the Speaker of Parliament, nor his deputy, nor any member of the political team should have a problem with fulfilling this demand. Whether it’s an embassy or any other donor, they must publish information about the amount of incoming funds and the projects being financed. It seems elementary, yet consider how much funding has been gathered to support scenarios for the development of extremism. We’ve seen all of this. Any question, any issue will be removed from the agenda in the case of transparency. A democratic state—like the United Kingdom, any EU country, or any foundation—will naturally resolve all issues from the agenda by fulfilling this basic requirement of ensuring transparency. If this does not happen, then of course a legitimate question arises: is money entering the political field—money that is being controlled by political parties or donation-receiving organizations, including television stations,” Volski stated.

For reference, Shalva Papuashvili called on the British Embassy to “disclose who it funded and with what amount in relation to the 2024 parliamentary elections, and who it is funding today and with how much.”

The Speaker of Parliament also called on any individual who may have information about the British Embassy’s funding to come forward.

Previously, the British Embassy in Georgia announced it had to cancel planned grant proposals aimed at supporting transparency and competitiveness in the municipal elections. As the diplomatic mission explained, after consultations with the Georgian government, they were informed that the government's resolution "on the procedure for approving grants" is not yet finalized, and therefore, there are currently no mechanisms or timelines in place for making decisions regarding the approval of grants.