Georgian Parliament official: transparency law aims to expose hidden schemes

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday commented on the recent admission by the European Commission regarding the use of NGOs for lobbying purposes.

He emphasised that one of the main reasons Georgia adopted the transparency law was to make such covert influence mechanisms visible to the public - a goal shared by the American legislation known as Foreign Agents Registration Act.

“Unfortunately, these processes are still ongoing. We continue to witness how certain forces are using NGOs as tools for lobbying activities. We have seen this closed scheme many times before, and it is regrettable that the same patterns persist. This is why we call on everyone to approach this issue with great caution and attention”, the Parliament official said.

Makhashvili stressed that instead of criticising the Government and accusing it of being anti-Western, critics should focus on transparency and accountability.

“Let’s ensure the public understands exactly how certain funds are being spent. Are these funds being used to silence individuals? To promote calls for violence? One of the primary reasons we introduced the transparency law - and why similar laws exist in the US, like FARA - is to ensure these hidden influence operations are brought to light. The public has a right to know who stands behind specific organisations and institutions, and what political agenda they represent. This empowers society to make informed decisions”, he concluded.