GD Rubber Stamps Legislation Forcing Donors to Seek Its Approval for Grant Awards
The Georgian Dream parliament today, April 16, rubber-stamped changes to the country’s Law on Grants, requiring foreign donors to obtain executive approval before disbursing funds to local organizations. The changes, which were rushed through the one-party parliament, passed on final reading with 82 votes in favor and none against. GD-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili has signed them into law, which take immediate effect.
Under the new rules, donors must secure consent from the GD government or a body designated by it before awarding grants. “It is prohibited to receive a grant without such consent,” the law reads. “The receiving of a prohibited grant will result in a fine equal to twice the amount of the grant,” it adds. The Anti-Corruption Bureau, widely believed to be under the full control of the ruling party, will be in charge of monitoring compliance.
Georgian civil society representatives believe that the amendments are part of the ruling party’s broader crackdown on dissent. They slammed the amendments as “an act of persecution against the Georgian people” aimed at “leaving citizens defenseless before the ruling party’s punitive system by banning international support and solidarity.”
U.S. Representative Joe Wilson, a vocal critic of Georgian Dream and co-sponsor of the MEGOBARI Act, tweeted today, “No matter what this fake parliament says, we will never cease our support.”
Before the amendments were adopted, GD MP Levan Machavariani named several local organizations -including Civil Platform, Transparency International Georgia, and Safari – as “undesirable,” accusing them of funding revolutions in Georgia and warning they should no longer be eligible for grants.
In the same legislative package, with 80 votes in favor and none against, the GD adopted in final reading amendments to the country’s Law on Political Associations of Citizens that prohibit political parties from receiving foreign in-kind support for holding lectures, seminars, and other public events.
Also Read:
- 15/04/2025 – Transparency International: Grant Law Amendments a Threat to Civil Society
- 01/04/2025 – GD Rubber Stamps FARA, Broadcasting Law Changes, Revives Treason, Removes Gender, Excludes CSOs
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