“US sanctions will deal a heavy blow to Ivanishvili’s regime” - comment from Tbilisi

Megobari act impact on Bidzina Ivanishvili

The United States will apply even greater pressure on Ivanishvili’s regime through sanctions that will deal a serious blow to it. This view was expressed by Giorgi Rukhadze, co-founder of the Georgian Centre for Strategic Analysis, during the “News of the Day” TV programme, commenting on the US House of Representatives’ vote to pass the MEGOBARI bill on Georgia.

US House of Representatives passes MEGOBARI bill on Georgia

The bill must now be approved by the US Senate and signed by Donald Trump.

Rukhadze believes the MEGOBARI Act will significantly weaken the Georgian Dream party and boost the chances of democratic forces.

At the same time, he notes that sanctions alone will not be enough to force the regime to surrender.

As a reminder, the US House of Representatives passed the MEGOBARI bill by a majority vote. The bill obliges the US President to impose sanctions on senior Georgian officials responsible for the country’s democratic backsliding, as well as on their supporters and family members.

The bill must now be approved by the US Senate. The final step will be the signature of President Donald Trump.

Giorgi Rukhadze:

“Dark clouds are gathering over Georgian Dream. The US will apply much greater pressure on Ivanishvili’s regime through broad institutional sanctions. Once the MEGOBARI Act is fully adopted, the US President’s administration and the State Department will be required to regularly review the situation in Georgia.

They will assess who is involved in undermining democracy and impose sanctions on those individuals. They will monitor Georgia’s relations with Russia, China, and Iran — and the growing influence these countries have on our natio

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And the scale of financial sanctions will now be different. They will affect many senior officials of Georgian Dream and their family members, which will have a serious negative impact on them.

However, it’s wrong to believe that sanctions — no matter how harsh or wide-ranging — will be enough on their own to make the regime back down. There are many examples of authoritarian regimes that have not yielded under sanctions. Russia, Belarus, and Venezuela are among them.

Sanctions are merely a supporting tool — one that helps mobilise society to continue resisting the regime and intensify pressure on it.”

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Megobari act impact on Bidzina Ivanishvili