Georgian Dream accuses Chamber of Control of violating members' rights

The Georgian Dream movement has accused the Chamber of Control of "terrorizing" its members.

On Monday, Tina Khidasheli, leader of the Republican Party (a member of the Georgian Dream coalition) released a statement accusing the Chamber of violating the Constitution.

She claims that on March 11, supporters of Bidzina Ivanishvili were approached by Chamber representatives and summoned for questioning.

“The public must know that these people are civil activists, who have no financial ties with Georgian Dream. Their connection with Georgian Dream is confined to delivering [our] newspapers and gathering the signatures of Ivanishvili supporters,” Khidasheli said, adding that the Chamber cited a legal standard about abusive financial practices in their questioning.

She also asserted that the Chamber's monitoring service and its head, Natia Mogeladze, have committed a crime by violating constitutional norms. “We address the public prosecutor’s office to start an inquiry into... Mogeladze questioning our activists, which is a criminal offence”.

Khidasheli said she intends to donate to Georgian Dream so as to be called and questioned by the Chamber. "This [donation] is a legal action, and I am waiting [to see] what documents will be presented by the monitoring service... I’m waiting for the hysteria of Mogeladze and a notification from the Chamber calling me to their department".

The same action was taken by another member of the coalition, leader of the Conservative Party Zviad Dzidziguri. He is also waiting for a call from the Chamber.

The Chamber of Control has not yet responded to Georgian Dream's complaint.

Political analyst Malkhaz Chemia told The Messenger that the Chamber of Control is openly violating the Constitution. "The Georgian constitution defines and specifies rights and the limits of freedom. How is it acceptable when those rights are restricted by the Chamber of Control, especially when the chamber has a specific scope – budgetary organizations?”

The only announcement made by the body on Monday was its intention to change its name. A draft bill in support of the change entered parliament yesterday, in which the Chamber is to be renamed the “Supreme Chamber of Audits and Financial Transparency”.

This initiative was proposed by the parliamentary majority party and government, the United National Movement.