Audit Agency releases donation data ahead of local elections
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, Auugust 9
Georgia’s State Audit Agency has released information concerning donations received by various political parties and candidates in July, three months before the local elections.
The data revealed that the Georgian Dream ruling party received the biggest amount of donations last month with 1,270,000 GEL.
The second was the European Georgia opposition party, composed of former members of the United National Movement and several other new faces, with 36,235 GEL.
The National Democratic Party received 11,092 GEL; Girchi 8,300 GEL; independent candidate Aleksandre Elisashvili's 3,120 GEL; United Communist Party of Georgia 268 GEL.
In total, donations of election entities amounted to 1,329,337 GEL in July.
The ruling team’s Tbilisi Mayoral candidate, ex-Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said he was “disappointed with the figure,” as he was hoping for more donations.
“The ruling party has many supporters and I was waiting for more donations,” Kaladze said.
The opposition parties claim that receiving most donations by the ruling party is because of the party’s policy.
Members of the United National Movement opposition claim that mainly such figures or companies donate for the ruling party, who win tenders after the elections announced by state bodies.
Georgia’s political party funding rules, which were changed in 2013, allows corporate donations and legal entities, including companies, to donate the maximum of GEL 120,000 annually to political parties.
Donation from physical entities is 60,000 GEL annually as a maximum.
