Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has proposed the removal of Transparency International Georgia’s (TI Georgia) status as an entity with “declared election objectives,” citing concerns over foreign interference in the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 26.
This move follows international criticism of the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s recent classification of TI Georgia and its leadership as groups with electoral goals, which has restricted their election-related activities.
Kobakhidze defended the Bureau’s decision, asserting that TI Georgia has engaged in “open election propaganda” against the ruling Georgian Dream party. He described the organization as having a “long-standing radical political agenda,” claiming it has contributed to political unrest in the country. The Prime Minister specifically referenced TI Georgia’s role in disseminating what he called “fake results” from the 2020 parliamentary elections, which he argued were used by the opposition to incite post-election unrest.
In his statement, Kobakhidze emphasized the need to protect Georgia’s electoral integrity from external manipulation, pointing out “early signs of interference”. He called for a reassessment of TI Georgia’s status and urged the Anti-Corruption Bureau to avoid granting similar designations to other organizations that could be leveraged for “outside influence”.
