Auditor General against political parties’ monitoring by his agency
By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, June 20
Auditor General of Georgia Lasha Tordia says that the funding of political parties should not be monitored by the State Audit Office (SAO), as the body is accountable before Parliament.
Tordia believes that this function creates various problems in the relationship of parliament and the State Audit Office.
“The monitoring function of funding of parties harms the activities of SAO and often we are victims of biased and non-objective political statements. I think that an independent commission should be created which will have this function and will also comply with the operative-searching activities,” Tordia stated.
The auditor says that it is not right when the SAO monitors MPs and then Parliament monitors the activities of the Audit Office.
“This is wrong and at least it is a conflict of interests. How will Parliament be a friendly institution when we fine and impose sanctions on politicians who are MPs?” the Auditor General claimed.
The State Audit office is the supreme audit institution, responsible for performing audit.
The general activities of the SAO are:
• Promoting efficient and effective public spending
• Protection of national wealth, the property of state of autonomous republics and local (municipal) entities
• Improvement of management of public finances.
The Office also conducts financial monitoring of the political parties, within the competencies defined in the Organic Law of Georgia on Election Code of Georgia and Political Union of Citizens.
The SAO is independent in its activities and in terms of its institutional subordination, funding, operation and organizational setting.
