Georgian PM: US moves to strengthen transparency legislation absolutely understandable

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said claims that transparency was contrary to democracy were “complete absurdity”, stressing that the new US administration was itself introducing clearer provisions into its transparency legislation.

Kobakhidze’s comments came after the US Department of Justice stepped up enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), reminding individuals and organisations acting on behalf of foreign governments or foreign principals of their potential registration obligations under the law.

“When someone tries to convince you that transparency is something contrary to democracy, it immediately becomes clear that this is complete absurdity. The new US administration itself is ensuring the introduction of even clearer provisions into its transparency legislation, because transparency is one of the most important principles of democracy”, Kobakhidze told journalists.

The Prime Minister said the campaign waged by the previous US administration against transparency legislation had been based on what he described as double standards and falsehoods.

“As for the campaign, including the campaign waged by the previous US administration against transparency legislation, it was clearly a double standard and a campaign based on lies, which we spoke about at the time. However, now we can speak about it even more boldly”, Kobakhidze said.

He argued that describing Georgia’s transparency law as a “Russian law” had been driven by what he called “blatant political interests”, adding that the campaign had involved the then US Ambassador and the then EU Ambassador to Georgia.

“Calling the transparency law a Russian law was dictated by exactly such blatant political interests. It was a complete farce and an absolutely shameful campaign”, Kobakhidze noted.

He reiterated that transparency was a fundamental democratic principle and said the new US administration’s efforts to strengthen its own transparency legislation were “absolutely understandable”.