Politicians React to NBG Scandal
On September 19, the National Bank of Georgia announced that in accordance with the decision of the Bank’s Acting President, international sanctions will not apply to a Georgian citizen who has not been found guilty by a Georgian court. With this change, the National Bank of Georgia has reversed its prior decision and restored access to bank assets and the right to carry out financial transactions to Otar Partskhaladze, after he was sanctioned by the United States.
Disorderly Parliamentary session
At today’s parliamentary session, the opposition demanded a debate on the issue of Otar Partskhaladze and the National Bank’s decisions, which led to a physical confrontation. The session continued according to the pre-planned agenda and the MPs had to listen to the Minister of Culture Tea Tsulukiani.
During Tsulukiani’s speech, the opposition MPs covered the rostrum with a banner calling for Georgian Dream to sail in the direction of the Russian ship, in line with the famous Ukrainian slogan. As a result of the disturbance, the leader of the ‘Strategy Agmashenebeli’ party, Giorgi Vashadze, was ejected from the hall. The disturbances continued in the foyer of the parliament. The opposition MPs called the Georgian Dream representatives “Russians”, while the ruling party team called them “agents”.
In the evening the opposition parties decided to hold protests in front of the National Bank building. Those gathered demand that the representatives of the ruling party stop protecting Partskhaladze, sanctioned by the USA, at the expense of Georgia’s financial stability. They also called the resignation of Natia Turnava.
Civil.ge offers the comments of the ruling party and the opposition on the decision of the NBG.
Ruling party
Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of Georgian Dream party: “The state is obliged to protect every citizen of Georgia. As for the opposition, why are they talking about all this? Because for them there exists neither a state nor a Georgian citizen. They are foreign agents and for them there are only orders. This is their motivation… This country has a Constitution that is in full compliance with international legal acts in the field of human rights protection. Among other things, the Constitution of Georgia protects the right to property, the presumption of innocence, and, of course, all state structures must act in accordance with the Constitution of the country and international agreements… The investigation has started, within the framework of this investigation it will be necessary to request all information related to him [Partskhaladze] being an agent… if there exists relevant evidence… In the order of the National Bank it is written that in this case, if the guilty verdict comes into force, then the sanctions will be applied to the person concerned”.
Giorgi Volski, Georgian Dream, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament: “You can’t punish a person without serious information, which should be used by the local government to make appropriate decisions… I am sure that the investigation will have the opportunity to collect this information. No one intervened [in the National Bank’s decision].
Opposition
Levan Bezhashvili, United National Movement: “The National Bank’s decision is anti-state and criminal. This decision of the National Bank is an expression of unprecedented illegality… financial isolation will follow, Georgian banks, international transfers, citizens’ deposits, pension and salary systems will face problems. That’s why the National Movement demands that the Board of Directors of the National Bank to meet… to cancel the one-man decision of Natia Turnava”.
Mikheil Daushvili, parliamentary group “For Georgia”: “GD is ready to put the interests of our country and citizens on the back burner in order to protect Partskhaladze. Another fact is that the National Bank of Georgia directly serves to protect the interests of the party and few families in this country. Endangering the financial system means that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow any of our citizens may be in danger when carrying out [banking] transactions”.
Paata Manjgaladze, “Strategy Aghmashenebeli”: “In the Georgian government there are agents of a higher rank than Partskhaladze, and they need to change the rules of the regulations so that in the future, in case United States exposes another person, it does not apply to them… Partskhaladze is a uncovered agent… Now the agents who are left undetected are trying to quickly withdraw their money from Georgia”.
Mamuka Khazaradze, Lelo: “With her decision, Natia Turnava practically fulfills Bidzina Ivanishvili’s and thus Russia’s order of destroying the independent institution of our country. This presents a very big damage and a serious danger that our international partners may to impose serious sanctions on the banking system in the future… The Board of the National Bank should come out and clarify the conditions under which this decision was made. Under what influence it was taken.”
Roman Gotsiridze, parliamentary group “Euro-optimists”: “Natia Turnava is a puppet of a person, and should be sanctioned and kicked out of the National Bank.”
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
