Political Reactions in Georgia to MEGOBARI Act
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan MEGOBARI Act, receiving strong support with 349 votes in favor, including 168 Republicans and 181 Democrats. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
The bill, which is sponsored by the Helsinki Commission leaders, would authorize the U.S. president to impose sanctions against members and senior officials of the Georgian Dream government found to have engaged in corruption or to have obstructed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration through violence or intimidation. Immediate family members of those individuals would also be subject to sanctions.
Civil.ge collected the domestic reactions to the MEGOBARI Act‘s passage:
Georgian Dream Government Representatives
Irakli Kobakhidze, GD Prime Minister and GD Chairman: “How can this act be called the MEGOBARI Act, which from the beginning to the end is permeated with a hostile attitude towards the Georgian people and the government elected by the Georgian people. This act is hostile. The battle between Trump and the Deep State continues. If such a decision is made, it means that at that concrete moment, the Deep State has won over the Trump administration… We still have an optimistic expectation and the Trump administration will win over the Deep State.”
Vladimer Bozhadze, Georgian Dream MP: “You know that Joe Wilson, who has long stood out for his hostility towards Georgia, talks about others’ corruption while making statements funded by the corrupt Kezerashvili [former Defense Minister of Georgia under UNM government], introducing bills, and so on. You may recall that an even more severe bill was initiated a year ago, and now, unfortunately, the tendency characteristic of the previous administration continues. However, of course, this decision, whether by the Senate or later by President Trump, could even serve as a sort of litmus test in relation to Georgia. But again, I repeat, of course, when we talk about the “Global War Party,” the “deep state,” President Trump himself speaks about these things. And once again, I emphasize that it would be our strong desire for President Trump to defeat [them],” Bozhadze noted.
Levan Machavariani, Deputy speaker of the GD Parliament: “I would like to remind the public that we refer to this act as a hostile act, because there is nothing friendly written in it. Mr. Wilson is the author of all this, you know what an odious figure he is, a lobbyist who, for example, was revealed to be selling tickets during the inauguration, selling some flags, and so on. There is every reason for us to speak of this person plainly as a lobbyist for the [United] National Movement,” stated Levan Machavariani, Deputy Chair of the “Georgian Dream” parliamentary faction.”
Givi Mikanadze, Georgian Dream MP: “This act, it can be said, and its content, as it is presented, is a direct insult to our country and society. This act may be a friend to radical groups; however, the fact is that the content presented in it is absolutely far from friendship […].”
President
President Salome Zurabishvili: “The adoption of the MEGOBARI Act in the U.S. is a very serious step. I can’t say that we should be happy about it today, because in reality, this decision is directed at Georgia, but the individuals responsible for what’s happening in the country will be sanctioned… This regime must be sanctioned – there is no other way, and our American friends know this. America cannot accept the fact that officials from Georgia have been accusing it of being a “party of war,” of being the “deep state,” and of various other things – this is unacceptable! This is America’s response as a friend. We will regain our friend as soon as this regime changes. That is our message! We will restore not only our friendship with America, but also the strategic partnership that was lost during this period. We will also regain the opportunities that come with visa liberalization with the United States, not with the countries from the list published a few days ago. We will also restore free trade. This is our future without this regime.”
Opposition
Mamuka Khazaradze of “Strong Georgia”: “The MEGOBARI Act is, in reality, the Georgian people’s response to all the political crimes, violence, and repressions that the Russian Dream has committed in Georgia over the past 13 years! Yes, ‘Georgian Dream’ truly turned into a ‘Georgian Nightmare’ when it: stripped the judiciary of its dignity; destroyed institutions; physically abused people; confronted civil society; violated the constitution and rejected the European course; deprived us of the guarantee of economic stability and security that the Anaklia Port would have given us. Today, it is already clear that accountability will come for all these crimes, and the MEGOBARI Act is precisely the precondition for this! The message has been received – true friends stand beside those who fight for freedom and dignity, not with those who cling to power through fear and repression!”
Coalition for Change: “The US House of Representatives, by a large majority, supported the adoption of the MEGOBARI Act, through which our American partners once again expressed their greatest support for the Georgian people and at the same time took an important step towards holding Ivanishvili’s usurper, violent, authoritarian, Russian regime accountable. The MEGOBARI Act calls for the freedom of political prisoners and sanctions against those who have contributed to democratic backsliding in Georgia and the increasing influence of Russia, China, and Iran” […]
“Support for the bill demonstrates that the rhetoric of Ivanishvili and his regime officials, suggesting that our international partners might tolerate the anti-democratic process in Georgia and recognize the legitimacy of the usurping so-called government, is propaganda aimed at misleading the Georgian people. By passing the MEGOBARI Act, the United States has officially taken action against Georgian Dream at the legislative level. We, the pro-Western political forces fighting for the democratic transformation of Georgia and the welfare of the Georgian citizens, appreciate the strong support of our international partners and are confident that the MEGOBARI Act will soon complete the remaining procedures, which means strong pressure against those who are destroying the future of our country and significant support for those who are fighting for the freedom of Georgia.”
Giorgi Vashadze, of Unity-UNM: “Thank you to our friend America for the unanimous support at this decisive moment! Friends, our continuous resistance is already yielding results. The US Congress has unanimously passed Georgia’s “MEGOBARI Act”. This is a unified, firm message from the world’s strongest democracy: Georgia is not Ivanishvili’s regime. Georgia is a freedom-loving nation, and their struggle deserves support. Something incredible happened – 165 Republicans and 180 Democrats unanimously supported this act. In the United States, where political parties disagree on nearly every issue, such consensus is reached only on matters of national importance and fundamental principle, and today, one such issue has become the Georgian people’s fight for freedom.” […]
“Now, we must carry that support forward here in Georgia. We must unite as one, like a clenched fist, to turn this success into a common, great victory. The struggle is not over – the most important part is yet to come!”
Ana Buchukuri, For Georgia party: “The lower house of the Congress of our strategic ally adopts such a strict legislative act, beyond being a legal act, it is primarily a political statement […] It was supported by 349 congressmen, while 42 voted against it. This is a bipartisan stance on the harmfulness that Georgian Dream has been carrying out for so many years. Moreover, it’s important to note that yet another facade, fake, lie that Georgian Dream was selling to its voters – that once January 20 comes [Trump’s Presidential Inauguration], we’ll rearrange everything, and whatever Trump says will happen this has also burst like a soap bubble. For me, as a citizen, the most painful part is that the helplessness and harmfulness of ‘Dream’, its illusions and detachment from reality, have brought us to this outcome.”
Also Read:
- 25/04/2025 – Helsinki Commission Urges Partners to Call for New Elections and Release of Prisoners in Georgia
- 02/04/2025 – U.S. Helsinki Commission Reprimands Georgian Dream for “Surrendering”Anaklia Port to Chinese Control
- 27/03/2025 – U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes MEGOBARI Act
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