Kenneth Wollack, the Chair of the US-based non-governmental organisation National Endowment for Democracy, on Wednesday addressed concerns regarding the funding of political parties through non-governmental organisations in Georgia, emphasising NED"s commitment to supporting civil society organisations rather than political parties.

Wollack"s comments come in response to the allegations of political funding schemes involving NGOs.

Wollack noted that NED was not funding political parties and maintained transparency in its program finances.

"Civil society groups certainly have the right to be engaged in the political process. If they are part of political parties, they are not civic organisations, if they compete for political power or they are engaged in party activity, then they are not civil society organisations”, Wollack noted.

In his remarks, Wollack stressed that NED"s mandate was to support civil society organisations, not political parties.

“If a civil society organisation chooses to become a political party, then the NED will not support it. [...] I have not seen any evidence that a civic organisation finances a political party. NED-supported organisations do not actually fund political parties”, he concluded.