We would like to respond to the statement of the Georgian Dream regarding the legal obligation of Bidzina Ivanishvili to file an asset declaration. First of all, the Georgian Dream admits that Bidzina Ivanishvili is hiding information about his property and finances from the Georgian people. The Georgian Dream is trying to convince citizens why Ivanishvili’s property should be hidden from the people and why he should be above the law.

The Georgian Dream claims that the exemption that applies to temporary acting officials applies to Ivanishvili as well. Bidzina Ivanishvili was never a temporary acting official, he was an elected Member of Parliament, whose mandate was terminated by the Parliament after he voluntarily relinquished it in December 2024. Therefore, this exemption does not apply to him.

It is worth noting that the Georgian Dream contradicts itself, because the correct interpretation of the law was applied to Irakli Gharibashvili, who, in accordance with the law, filed an asset declaration as a former Member of Parliament after relinquishing his parliamentary mandate. Ivanishvili was in the exact same position. 

The exemption from the obligation to file a declaration applies only to cases where a person temporarily performs an official function in the same public institution for a period of less than 2 months, that is, there is a temporary internal replacement for the position. This exception does not apply to cases where a person is appointed or elected to a completely new position, even for a short period.

Bidzina Ivanishvili’s position as Member of Parliament, even for a period of less than 2 months, is an elected position and not a temporary replacement in the same system; therefore, he is not exempt from the obligation to file a declaration.

We call on the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Razhden Kuprashvili, to fulfill his legal obligation and demand that Bidzina Ivanishvili fill out an asset declaration, including by requesting information through the court.