Mamuka Mdinaradze: "Opposition Fights Windmills"

On November 2, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, stated that the opposition's efforts to advance the de-oligarchization bill had been referred to as fighting windmills because the law cannot be applied to someone who has retired from politics [referring to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the GD party founder].

Mdinaradze explained that a person must satisfy three of the four requirements to be classified as an oligarch under Ukrainian law. He said that the opposition would lose since they confront a phantom problem.

"The issue is unfounded. The person has given up on politics. Their issue is everything Bidzina Ivanishvili is involved with. He, the Georgian state, and the administration are accused after they falsified evidence. They are fighting against windmills," Mdinaradze stated.

Irakli Kobakhidze: "Oligarch is Oligarch in Every Country"

On November 2, Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said that an oligarch is an oligarch in any country and if someone is regarded as an oligarch in Ukraine, the same should be true in Georgia.

Kobakhidze asserts that he has learned from sources and authorities that Moldova would adhere, with some minor alterations, to the Ukrainian law on de-oligarchy. "Due to the lack of context, Ukrainian law cannot be applied in the Georgian setting. It thereby satisfies the objective requirements. Neither our interests nor those of the opposition are served by it. In such circumstances, we think it fair to adhere to Ukrainian law. While there may undoubtedly be some small adjustments made," Kobakhidze said. He added that, in general, Ukrainian law recognizes the idea of oligarchy and takes steps to combat it.

"The opposition's dilemma is that they realized they have oligarchs on their side," the GD Chair stated. "Davit Kezerashvili, who recently acknowledged funding political parties, the media, and so-called non-governmental groups, is one of the high-profile examples. The only individuals who will suffer from this law are those who support the opposition. These people are genuine oligarchs who want to rule Georgia. Therefore, the opposition has a personal stake in seeing that the parliament rejects this measure," he claimed.

"The ruling team wants to objectively control who is an oligarch and what de-oligarchization should imply," Kobakhidze continued. "The opposition wants uncertainty on this topic, but we want clarity, so we cannot follow their lead," he concluded.