TI Georgia head hails US MEGOBARI Act as ‘strong bipartisan support’ for Georgian people

Eka Gigauri, Executive Director of Transparency International Georgia, on Tuesday praised the “overwhelming support” for the MEGOBARI Act in the US House of Representatives, describing it as a “significant expression of bipartisan backing for the Georgian people.”

The Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act (MEGOBARI Act) was passed by the House on Tuesday with an overwhelming vote of 349 in favor and 42 against. The bill, which “aims to strengthen Georgia's democratic institutions and support its resilience against external threats,” now moves to the US Senate for further approval.

Gigauri highlighted the importance of the vote, claiming it reflected “strong backing” from both US political parties. "This is an expression of very strong support for the Georgian people, and bipartisan support. We know that both parties – Republicans and Democrats – support the adoption of the MEGOBARI Act,” she said.

The TI Georgia head also pointed to the “widening gap” between the interests of the Georgian people and their government under the ruling Georgian Dream party. “If we look at this discussion as a whole, we will see that the Georgia of the Georgian people and the Georgian Dream are separated from each other,” Gigauri said. “The interests of several high-ranking officials of the Georgian Dream are absolutely different. We all know they are leading Georgia towards Russia and undermining their own country.”