Venice, EU commissions’ views on deoligarchisation bill “contradictory” - ruling party head
Irakli Kobakhidze claimed the systemic approach recommended by the Venice Commission was “very unlikely” to resolve issues related to potential oligarchs. Photo: Irakli Kobakhidze’s Facebook
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday claimed the opinions of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and the European Commission on the Georgian deoligarchisation bill “contradict each other”.
Commenting following critical assessments by the former body of the domestic bill - designed to address one of the conditions for Georgia to be granted the EU membership candidate status - Kobakhidze said his party was ready to reject the bill after its adoption if the European Commission removed it from the recommendations.
The Venice Commission’s opinion on Monday recommended the Georgian authorities to drop the legislative piece - which it said was using a “personalised”, instead of “systemic”, approach to curbing oligarchic influence on the domestic politics - and instead implement a wide range of systemic reforms to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of wealthy individuals.
In his press comments, Kobakhidze claimed the European Commission’s condition on the matter that urged the Georgian authorities to “implement the commitment to deoligarchisation by eliminating the excessive influence of vested interests in economic, political, and public life”, implied a “personalised and not systemic approach” to the problem, in an alleged contradiction to the Venice Commission’s opinion.
Just published: #Georgia - Final Opinion on the draft law on de-oligarchisation –
— Venice Commission (@VeniceComm) June 13, 2023
Venice Commission says the revised draft law on de-oligarchisation should not be adopted.
Text of the opinion: https://t.co/9nstQTzjkq pic.twitter.com/L5DNhvAGbL
In the wake of the Georgian Parliament’s adoption of the controversial bill with its second reading late on Tuesday - a day after the publication of the Venice Commission recommendations - Kobakhidze pledged his party was ready to drop the bill after its final approval if the European Commission removed the note on deoligarchisation from its conditions by December.
He also added the law would not come into play until next year to allow for assessments of the European Commission on the topic, as the bloc is preparing to make its decision on whether to grant Georgia the membership candidate status in December.
However, the Parliamentary official also claimed the systemic approach recommended by the Venice Commission was “very unlikely” to resolve issues related to potential oligarchs, citing the example of David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia who earlier this year admitted he was funding “pro-Western organisations and media outlets” in the country.
Without a personalised approach, the issue of Kezerashvili in domestic politics would not be resolved”, Kobakhidze said, in reference to the Government's allegations over Kezerashvili’s funding of a “radical wing” of the domestic opposition.
The accusations came following his conviction in March for embezzlement of state funds during his time in office, and his alleged connection with an international scheme defrauding European pensioners, as reported by the British Public Broadcaster in April.
In its remarks on Wednesday, the EU representation in Georgia urged the country’s authorities to follow the Venice Commission’s recommendations against adopting the bill, and expressed the bloc’s readiness to support the country’s Government to find a “better way forward with a systemic approach”.
The Georgian parliament on Tuesday passed the deoligarchisation bill, with 81 votes against two, in its second reading, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party as part of the work to meet the conditions outlined by the European Union last year for granting its membership candidate status to the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said the country’s wanted former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili had “confirmed” he was an “oligarch” and was funding domestic opposition and TV channels with funds “stolen from European pensioners”.
The British public broadcaster BBC on Wednesday revealed its investigation into a fraudulent “call centre” scheme involving David Kezerashvili, a wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, in a report that detailed a global network of a scam operation targeting customers.
The Tbilisi Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the City Court verdict of embezzlement of state funds against David Kezerashvili, the former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, and ordered him to pay a €5,060,000 compensation to the Ministry.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday highlighted the need for a “serious, conscientious and fair” attitude towards the country from the domestic opposition and the European Union.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday said the bloc needed to receive “good news” from Georgia regarding its progress on the conditions outlined by the EU last year for granting Tbilisi its membership candidate status, in order to create a “positive atmosphere” for future relations between the sides.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the ruling team would take into account requests of European partners and not approve the domestic bill on deoligarchisation - designed to address one of the conditions for Georgia to be granted the EU membership candidate status - until December.
The Georgian Government on Monday announced it would develop an action plan to address the task of deoligarchisation in the country “in accordance with the Venice Commission opinion and the requirements of the European Union”, ahead of the bloc’s decision whether to grant Georgia its membership candidate status later this year.