Ruling party official claims donor organisations funded political parties through NGOs, violating Georgia’s Constitution

Levan Machavariani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Deputy Chair of the parliamentary faction of the ruling party, on Saturday claimed that political parties, specifically the opposition United National Movement, received external funding through NGOs, circumventing constitutional restrictions.

Machavariani made these statements while discussing the financial situation of the UNM, highlighting the role of foreign donor organisations, such as USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), in financing political parties in Georgia.

“They were financed by external actors, such as USAID, NED, and other organisations, circumventing the Constitution. Donor organisations funded political parties through NGOs, which, I emphasise once again, contradicts our Constitution. Now, they have been left without a significant portion of their funding”, the Parliament official said.

Machavariani further addressed the ongoing financial difficulties of the UNM, which have reportedly led to the sale of its headquarters.

“The main source of their remaining funding now comes from specific Soros-affiliated funds and the European Fund, which has directly impacted their financial situation. As a result, they are being forced to take steps like this”, he concluded.

The UNM is currently facing a severe financial crisis, reportedly leading to the sale of its headquarters on Kakheti Highway in the capital city of Tbilisi. Public registry records show that the office was sold for 3,200,000 GEL to EV Distribution, a company linked to the UNM.