Parties react to further demands from Chamber of Control

The Chair of the Monitoring Service of the Chamber of Control has demanded accounts of political parties' financial transactions from January 1st, 2012 to the present. As Natia Mogeladze explained on Saturday, the Chamber aims to ensure transparency of the parties’ financial activities within the framework of the Organic Law of Political Unions.

Mogeladze also noted that, in order to avoid participation in corruption, ordinary citizens need to avoid becoming subjects of political manipulation. Referring to a recent incident involving a suspiciously large donation to Georgian Dream from an individual who works for one of Bidzina Ivanishvili's companies, Mogeladze asked Georgians to avoid participation in illegal activities.

Political parties had differing reactions to the request.

Davit Usupashvili, leader of the Republican Party, said that Republicans have fulfilled their obligations as defined by the law. Commenting on Mogeladze’s “illegal and groundless” demand, Usupashvili said that they have already provided the Chamber with financial documentation about their activities in 2011. Wondering what else the party will be asked to present, he doubted that they have any additional responsibilities under the law.

Confident that the Chamber of Control would answer for everything in front of “a free and democratic court”, leader of Democratic Movement - United Georgia, Nino Burjanadze, accused the Chamber of violating the Constitution. Saying that the Chamber has been breaking the frames of its competence, Burjanadze suspected that it has become “the government’s weapon for oppressing opposition parties".

Although Burjanadze found Mogeladze’s demand “undemocratic”, she said she will not use “absurd methods” against the government and would send the Chamber the information they demanded.

Christian-Democrat Giorgi Akhvlediani failed to see any problems with fulfilling Mogeladze’s demand. “As a qualified party, we are on [state] budget financing and we can provide financial documentation at any time,” Akhvlediani said, adding that his party has nothing to worry about.

Stressing the need to ensure financial transparency before the upcoming parliamentary elections this fall, Pavle Kublashvili from the ruling United National Movement expressed readiness to provide the Chamber with all the necessary documentation before the deadline. “I think each party should be ready for transparency,” he said, asserting that if someone is unwilling to reveal their financial records, it may mean that the party does not have itself in order.