Georgian Dream chair Irakli Kobakhidze has now accused US Congress-funded National Endowment for Democracy and EU-funded European Endowment for Democracy (EED) of financially backing “extremism and polarization” in Georgia.
Kobakhidze made the allegation when commenting on the Russia-style draft anti-NGO bill pushed by Bidzina Ivanishvili-linked People’s Power and now publicly backed by Georgian Dream.
Mr Kobakhidze cited Shame Movement, the Droa Party and various NGOs as examples.
"It [Shame Movement] is financed by the EED, which is an official structure of the European Union. When the public sees the sources of this funding, it will ask the European Union structures as it demands depolarization in Georgia… - how to reduce [polarization] when there are two sides - that is, on the one hand, they tell you that your first task is depolarization, and at the same time they themselves finance polarization, [through] Shame Movement, an extremist organization,” Mr Khobakhidze said adding that Droa Party is another beneficiary “which is another extremist organization, in a broad sense, one of the branches of the National Movement.”
He also claimed the draft bill was aimed at improving transparency of funding sources of CSOs while also saying western donors of the groups of concern are publicly known.
"The public has information about who is financed from what sources," he said.
The ruling party chair also said several CSOs that had voiced calls for the Government resignation would belong to the same category.
“These are the richest organizations, the richest NGOs, who made a direct political demand, directly entered politics, and directly positioned themselves as a supplement to the United National Movement. These organizations are well financed from various sources, among them are the sources that are related to the same entities," he said.
Mr Kobakhidze went even further claiming “certain organizations” misuse the EU funds received in order to “inflame polarization.”
"There are specific non-governmental organizations, which receive finances from specific sources. Today I mentioned several such organizations, for example, EED, which we got to know in Georgia when Carl Hartzell [former EU ambassador to Georgia] made them bail Nika Melia [out of prison], there is also NED in the US. They finance non-governmental organizations for various purposes,” he added.
დახურვა