Salome Zurabishvili Secures 89% of Donations in 1H October

Eight electoral subjects registered for the October 28 presidential elections raised GEL 2,152,091 (USD 0.8 million) in monetary and non-monetary donations in the period from October 3 through October 16, according to the State Audit Office, an independent body in charge of the political finance monitoring.

The State Audit Office reported that 99% of total donations (GEL 2,136,518) in the first half of October was distributed among three electoral subjects. 89% of the funds (GEL 1,916,026) was received by the ruling party-endorsed candidate, Salome Zurabishvili, followed by the European Georgia with GEL 121,893 and the United National Movement with GEL 98,598.

During the reporting period, the New Georgia party raised GEL 10,000; the Free Georgia – GEL 3,255; the Free Democrats – GEL 1,250; the Labor Party – GEL 1,000 and the New Political Center Girchi – GEL 69.

The data concerning the contributions from August 1 to October 19 is presented below:

Besides donations, the so-called “qualified electoral subjects” – i.e. the parties that have crossed the 3% threshold in the last general elections or have won at least one majoritarian seat and established a faction in the Parliament (minimum six MPs required), and are thus entitled to state support in campaigning – were also funded from the state coffers.

16 political subjects received a total of GEL 495,460 from the state budget in the first half of October. The European Georgia party is leading the list with GEL 86,344, followed by the United National Movement with GEL 82,644; Free Democrats – GEL 42,683; Labor Party – 39,401; National-Democratic Party – GEL 31,571, and State for the People and New Georgia – GEL 16,293 each.

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