Abkhazia’s 'MP budgets': why do 'servants of the people' receive $100,000 in public funds every year?
A debate has erupted in Abkhazia over so-called “MP budgets”. Each of the 35 MPs receives 10 million roubles (around $100,000) from the state budget every year. For the past three years, parliament and the government have agreed to allocate this money to local infrastructure and maintenance projects in the constituencies where the MPs were elected.
The MPs themselves say the funds allow them to address problems in their constituencies quickly, such as repairing water pipes, paving rural roads and building playgrounds.
Those who oppose the scheme, however, describe it as outright corruption.
According to Daut Khutaba, head of parliament’s committee on legislation, MPs have reached an agreement with the government. Each MP can now decide how to spend up to 10 million roubles on construction and repair work in their constituency, consulting local voters or town and village administrations.
“Thanks to this agreement, over the past three years I have secured the construction of more than 2.5 kilometres of fencing in the Pitsunda Nature Reserve, at a cost of around 20 million roubles, as well as the laying of more than a kilometre of roads,” says Khutaba, who represents the Pitsunda constituency.
Abkhaz journalist Inal Khashig believes that giving individual MPs a separate budget for municipal spending will eventually turn parliament into a closed club and undermine the rotation of elected representatives:
“Under this system, any MP running in the next election has a significant advantage over other candidates. In voters’ eyes, they have already ‘invested’ in their constituency by repairing water pipes, laying gravel on rural roads or replacing light bulbs in street lamps.
“At first glance, this may seem like a worthy initiative: listening to voters and quickly addressing local infrastructure problems. But ultimately, this small handout – or, more accurately, an undisguised form of electoral bribery – will effectively give incumbent MPs a lifetime position, unless, of course, they decide not to stand for re-election.”
According to well-known blogger and civic activist Tengiz Jopua, the “MP budget” effectively violates the fundamental principles of parliamentarism and a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
“In a civilised country, the same rules apply to everyone. There are dedicated institutions people must approach, along with established procedures for submitting applications, reviewing them and allocating funds.
“The money allocated to [MPs] comes from the state budget. It is our money – taxpayers’ money – and belongs to the people as a whole, not to the state, prime ministers, presidents or MPs. That is why I believe this way of distributing public funds is wrong,” Jopua said, expressing his firm opposition to the scheme.
The terminology, place names and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of this website.
