US MEGOBARI Act warning to Ivanishvili to cede power or face sanctions, opposition leader

Georgian opposition leader Tina Bokuchava on Tuesday hailed the passage of the MEGOBARI Act by the US House of Representatives as a “strict warning” to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, declaring that he “must give up power or face severe sanctions” from the US. 

Speaking after the resolution passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, the Chairwoman of the Unity - National Movement said the act had sent a “clear message” from Washington that there would be “no renewed ties” with Georgia while it remained under what she called Ivanishvili’s “Russian criminal regime.”

“Ivanishvili must cede power or receive the most severe sanctions from the Donald Trump administration,” Bokuchava said. “This includes his entourage, propagandists, and corrupt businesses - the so-called financial elite - who will all come under financial sanctions,” she claimed. 

The legislation, initiated by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, passed with 349 votes - 168 Republicans and 181 Democrats - underscoring what Bokuchava called “firm bipartisan support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future.”

She also claimed the act proved that the October 2024 parliamentary elections, which she described as a “special operation,” had left Georgia under illegitimate rule. “He promised peace and delivered repression. This is not just a bill - it’s a declaration that his time is up,” she added.

Bokuchava announced that her party would send a delegation to Washington in the coming week to engage with the Senate and press for final approval of the bill.