US House of Representatives financial assistance for Georgia bill proposal causes divide among ruling party, opposition
The opposition raising the alarm bell while the ruling party states that the country will not bear any losses. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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A US House of Representatives subcommittee has proposed making financial assistance for Georgia conditional on the fulfilment of several requirements, which has the opposition raising the alarm bell while the ruling party states that the country will not bear any losses.
The proposal would stipulate that 15 per cent of financial assistance ($132,025,000) to Georgia be withheld if the State Secretary determines the Georgian government is not taking effective steps to strengthen democratic institutions, combat corruption within the government and ensure the rule of law in the private sector.
Ruling party MP and Vice Parliament Speaker Gia Volski said the ‘opposition deems this a victory. This is a lie of the opposition'.
While we are working on integration with NATO, on strengthening cooperation with the US, our opponents are working to damage our country, in order for the assistance and political support to be diminished", he said.
Volski said that a group of congressmen 'that is known to us, which drafted the bill which is to be discussed in the Committee...doesn't seem to be realistic. Therefore, I would like to calm our opponents, the country won't bear any losses, despite such an intense and furious fight'.
One of the leaders of the European Georgia party, Giga Bokeria, states that the House of Representatives subcommittee proposal is an 'exceptionally alarming signal' and that the bill is a 'clear message from the US' with which Washington raises concerns with the current situation in Georgia.
Instead of lobbying additional assistance and free trade with the US in times of such difficulty, we have an exceptionally alarming signal from our strategic partner. We haven't had such a message since 2003, the last time it happened was during Shevardnadze's time. Today there are deep concerns with regards to Ivanishvili's steps which have led our country to a deadlock", said Bokeria.
Independent MP Tamar Chugoshvili said that the warning was statements 'we have heard before, now it is more than a warning'.
US Congressman Adam Kinzinger has tweeted that he and three other congressmen have sent a letter to Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia with ‘grave concerns’ over political and economic issues in the country.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has responded to a recent open letter published by US Congressman Markwayne Mullin on ‘the deteriorating economic climate’ in Georgia, by saying that Georgia listens to the official statements of the US government. “Top officials of the US State Department and our American partners say that Georgia has irreversible progress in terms of development of democratic institutions."
US Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Gerry Connolly have sent a letter to Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia regarding the ongoing protests in Tbilisi, sparked by the rejection of the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed election bill on November 14. The congressmen stated that since declaring independence in 1991, Georgia has developed a “strong democratic foundation and demonstrated a commitment to democratic values”, including free and fair elections.
The Houses of Representatives has published a new bill for purposes of the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programmes for the current fiscal year which states that $132,025,000 financial assistance will be allocated for Georgia.
Notes have been added to the Georgia section of the US Fiscal Year 2021 State and Foreign Operations Funding bill, released by the United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on July 6.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the US House of Representatives subcommittee bill, stating that ‘international partners are Georgia's closest allies.’
US Congressman Adam Kinzinger says the US Congress has never discussed imposing sanctions on Georgia, responding to speculations on the Georgia section of the US Fiscal Year 2021 State and Foreign Operations Funding bill, released by the United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on July 6.
The bill which was earlier approved by the House of Representatives said that Georgia should receive “not less than USD $132 million in financial assistance.”