Congressman Steve Cohen: 'Ivanishvili is steering Georgians toward Russia, where his heart and wealth lie'
US Congressman Steve Cohen slams Ivanishvili
Democratic Congressman and Vice Chair of the Helsinki Commission, Steve Cohen, spoke to Voice of America outlet about the situation in Georgia and the importance of two U.S. congressional bills—the MEGOBARI Act and the “Non-Recognition of the Georgian Nightmare Act.”
Cohen stated that Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, is leading the Georgian people away from the West and aligning them closer to Russia, where Ivanishvili’s heart and wealth lie.
● The MEGOBARI Act is a bill introduced by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson. On one hand, the bill proposes imposing sanctions on individuals responsible for adopting or potentially enforcing the “foreign agents” law in Georgia. On the other, it seeks to enhance support for Georgia if the country returns to a “democratic, Western-oriented path.”.
● The “Non-Recognition of the Georgian Nightmare Act” is a bipartisan bill that prohibits the recognition of the Georgian Dream government. Additionally, the bill acknowledges President Salome Zourabichvili as the country’s only legitimate leader. The bill was authored by Joe Wilson and Steve Cohen.н.
Steve Cohen asserts that most members of the Helsinki Commission are committed to strengthening U.S.-Georgia relations. However, they see rejecting the “illegitimate, Ivanishvili-backed government, which conducted illegal and meaningless elections,” as the only way to achieve this.
“[It is necessary] to suspend relations [with Georgia] until new elections are held and a parliament is formed that represents the entire Georgian people and various parties. Right now, it’s just Ivanishvili’s party, Ivanishvili’s people.
He is steering the Georgian people away from the West and aligning them with Russia, where his heart and wealth lie. That’s his direction,” Cohen said.
Cohen warns that under the MEGOBARI Act, anyone found guilty of corruption or undermining Georgia’s sovereignty will face consequences. At the same time, the bill outlines ways for Georgia to restore cooperation with the United States, whether through trade policies or other means.
“However, it is currently very difficult for the United States to recognize the legitimacy of a government [in Georgia] that is based on fraudulent elections. That’s how far we’ve come,” Cohen adds.
The “Non-Recognition of the Georgian Nightmare Act,” in turn, stipulates that the U.S. will not engage with “an illegitimate government until it is proven that new free and fair elections will be held in Georgia.”
Cohen suggests that the U.S. may impose additional sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili and consider targeting other officials involved in actions that “undermine democracy.”
I believe they aimed to target Ivanishvili first because he is at the helm of it all. It was important to start with him. He is the most influential figure in the entire government, even though he holds no official position. He controls everything. The time for others may come later…
The congressman recalls observing the 2012 parliamentary elections in Georgia, noting how enthusiastic the Georgian people were about the Georgian Dream party, which ultimately came to power. They placed their hopes in Ivanishvili and anticipated reforms. However, those hopes were never fulfilled.
