UNM won’t vote for deoligarchisation bill – opposition MP

The United National Movement opposition party will not vote for the deoligarchisation bill, which is one of 12 conditions set by the European Commission for Georgia’s membership candidate status, as the document “does not concern” the founder of the ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili, dubbed an “informal ruler” by the UNM, Levan Khabeishvili, the party MP told Front News on Monday. 

“The deoligarchisation law, which does not affect Ivanishvili, cannot be considered a successful law. The oligarch in this country is Ivanishvili. Oligarchy means the influence of a person with money on the government. Therefore, the public knows very well who interferes in the decisions of the government, who appoints top figures etc. – this is Ivanishvili”, Khabeishvili said. 

He stated that the country’s foreign partners had “explained clearly” that the bill should concern Ivanishvili, and noted that the ruling party- initiated bill was “a facade move” that the authorities were set to meet the conditions for EU candidacy.  

As for participation in the deliberations, the MP stressed that “we participate in the discussion of draft laws because we want these 12 point-conditions to be implemented. However, we will not vote for this concrete bill”.