Georgian government's offer to fund NGOs, media denounced as 'bribery' by opposition

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on Sept. 9 that the government will create a fund for grants for NGOs and media in the wake of the controversial foreign agents law coming into force, local media reported.

The opposition has denounced the ruling Georgian Dream party's plan as "bribery" and an attempt to exert influence over independent NGOs.

Georgia's foreign agents law came into effect on Aug. 1, giving organizations that receive foreign funding one month to register with the Justice Ministry. Failure to do so by Sept. 1, when the official monitoring period began, could result in fines of 25,000 Georgian lari ($9,200).

Kobakhidze called the creation of the state fund a "step towards" NGOs and media, which allegedly risk losing funding from international donors if they follow the law. The government will make "organizational preparations" in the coming months, and the first grants will be issued in January 2025, according to Kobakhidze.

"Over 450 non-governmental organizations, many of which receive foreign funding, have applied to the Justice Ministry. I want to thank these organizations for their civic responsibility. This proves that receiving foreign funding does not necessarily indicate negative foreign influence," the prime minister said at a press conference.

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The Georgian opposition spoke out against the idea.

"This is a complete absurdity, bribery of non-governmental organizations," said Nika Gvaramia, a former minister under now-imprisoned ex-President Mikhel Saakashvili and one of the leaders of the opposition Coalition for Change.

Roman Gotsiridze, the chair of the Eurooptimists parliamentary group, said that the Georgian Dream "wants to bribe the free non-governmental sector so that the voice of criticism will not be heard from their side."

The Georgian opposition and pro-EU President Salome Zourabishvili are also awaiting the Constitutional Court's decision on a joint lawsuit against the foreign agents law.

The passing of the controversial legislation, along with the excessive use of force during accompanying protests and a growing crackdown on civil society, has strained Georgia's relations with its traditional Western allies, the EU and the U.S.

Georgian Dream has also taken steps toward stabilizing relations with Russia, which has contributed to deteriorating ties with Kyiv.

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