Parliament Speaker: "Adoption of anti-discrimination law is about choice between Europe and Russia'
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Head of the Georgian Parliament has spoken out about the anti-discrimination draft law currently being debated in Parliament.
"Accordingly the question today is as follows: Are we moving towards Europe and recognize that we should not reduce a human being if we are not sharing his views, or we stay inside Russia. The choice has to be made by Parliament and the country and everyone has to decide together," Usupashvili said.
Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili said an interim variant of the draft law, currently being discussed at its secondary hearing in parliament, would be presented in Parliament today.
He said all interested parties had been included closely in the discussions and among them was the Patriarch's Office, who asked to postphone the adoption of the law.
"It is possible that there is not absolute consensus about this issue however Parliament members take pride in the political success of the country no less than anybody else," Usupashvili said adding he believed his colleagues would make the appropriate and necessary decision to benefit the country.
The anti-discrimination draft law passed in Parliament with first hearing when the Patriach’s Office of Georgia issued a statement asking Parliament to postpone adopting the law.
Meanwhile, dozens of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) called on the Government to make the law more effective and provide more precise explanations for what discrimination signs were.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili believes the anti-discrimination Bill, which is being strongly criticized by the Georgian Orthodox Church, will definitely be adopted. He explained the core essence of the law and said it would not encourage or allow any illegal activity.
The President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has made his first comments about the anti-discrimination draft law currently being debated in Parliament.
Georgia’s anti-discrimination draft law is remaining in the spotlight as Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili says the new law will not legalise "any illegal activity".
Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili is appealing to the Georgian society not to yield certain groups of speculation regarding the heavily discussed anti-discrimination law.
The anti-discrimination draft law has been discussed at the meeting betweem members of the Parliamentary majority and representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church today in a bid to clarify misunderstandings surrounding the Bill.
Parliament has adopted the Anti-Discrimination Bill with 104 votes to one with its third and final hearing today, May 2.
The President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili signed the Anti-Discrimination law today.
The "Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination" legislation went into force after it has been published on the state online registry Legislative Herald of Georgia on May 7.