Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili expressed concerns on social media about the role of certain foreign actors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and media outlets, accusing them of depriving the public of the right to make informed political choices ahead of the upcoming elections. According to Papuashvili, instead of enhancing the democratic environment, these entities are skewing the political process in favor of specific parties.
Papuashvili highlighted the problematic behavior of some politically biased civil society organizations that claim to be impartial election observers. He urged a critical examination of the integrity and independence of NGOs and media, free from bias and stereotypes.
He noted that in the region, any criticism of NGOs or media by government officials is often automatically labeled as anti-democratic repression. However, he argued that assuming the integrity and independence of these groups without question is itself undemocratic, suggesting that some operate in the interest of external forces attempting to shield them from scrutiny.
“Civil society should stand between the state and the individual. However, it should not represent a political organization. Just because a representative of an NGO or a journalist is not officially running for election does not mean they are not a politician. It is inappropriate to consider them as impartial and independent. Therefore, it would be more accurate to refer to them as political activists rather than civil society. Some are directly connected to formal political parties, sometimes even adopting their names, such as Droa or For the People. There was even an instance where leaders of the NGO Eastern European Center for Multiparty Democracy transformed directly into the political party Freedom Square,” he stressed, adding that recently the Anti-Corruption Bureau declared the NGO Choose Europe a politically motivated entity, with two of its leaders soon appearing on an opposition party’s election list.
Papuashvili noted that the agendas of these NGOs and media outlets are overtly political, consistently calling for regime change and at one point even demanding the formation of a “technical government” to replace the ruling Georgian Dream party. He specifically singled out organizations like Soros’ Open Society Foundation, Transparency International, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), accusing them of aligning their narratives with opposition parties.
He further alleged that NGOs and media companies such as Mtavari, Pirveli, and Formula serve as propaganda platforms for opposition parties like Lelo and the United National Movement (UNM).
“Apart from their political agenda and broadcasting, the finances of these NGOs and media outlets often directly serve political parties: NGOs organize party meetings, hold ‘democracy festivals’ for political campaigning, or even act as a source of income for politicians. In short, NGOs, media, and political parties are intertwined, forming political conglomerates often connected to shadowy oligarchs,” the speaker stated.
He also emphasized that these NGOs and media outlets receive significant foreign funding through grants and programs aimed at democratic assistance, effectively allowing foreign money to influence Georgian politics. Papuashvili criticized this as a violation of Georgian law, which prohibits political parties from receiving foreign funding, labeling the practice both illegitimate and illegal.
“Thus, instead of improving the democratic environment, foreign actors, NGOs, and the media are engaged in tipping the balance in favor of certain political parties, thereby depriving the public of the right to make an informed political choice,” the parliament speaker’s post concluded.
