Parliament Speaker thanks Interior Minister, police for “maintaining public order” during transparency bill protests
Papuashvili expressed his gratitude to the Minister, after the latter addressed the lawmaking body on Friday, and “every police officer” on behalf of the Parliament, as they had protected the citizens, as well as MPs and employees of the legislative body from the demonstrators trying to storm the state institution. Photo via Parliament of Georgia
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday thanked the country’s Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and the police for “protecting the legislative body and maintaining public order” during March protests in Tbilisi against the bill on transparency of foreign influence.
Papuashvili expressed his gratitude to the Minister, after the latter addressed the lawmaking body on Friday, and “every police officer” on behalf of the Parliament, as they had protected the citizens, as well as MPs and employees of the legislative body from the demonstrators trying to storm the state institution.
The demonstrators were protesting the bill outside the Parliament building that envisaged registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets as “agents of foreign influence” if they derived more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, with police arresting a total of 146 people for violation of the rule of law and public order.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, also thanked the Interior Minister for conducting relevant operations “at the highest level” and in compliance with European standards, adding during the demonstrations, “Europe was on the side of police force and not of the violent demonstrators”.
The controversial bill was withdrawn by the ruling Georgian Dream party following the rallies “considering the importance of peace” in the country and was rejected by the legislative body in early April.
Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri on Friday said March protests in Tbilisi against the Bill on Transparency of Foreign Influence had “turned into violence” despite “numerous calls” from his office to protesters to act peacefully.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday called on citizens currently gathered in front of the Parliament building, who are protesting the approval of the transparency bill by the legislative body on Tuesday, to “remain within the legal framework of peaceful assembly".
Giorgi Vashadze, the leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, on Wednesday called on the participants of the rally to besiege the Parliament building.
Georgian police arrested 133 individuals during protests outside the Parliament in central Tbilisi on Tuesday and Wednesday against the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Thursday.
Gia Volski, the ruling Georgian Dream party MP and the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “counter-sanctions” that would bring “serious consequences” for the country.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the country’s Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “retaliatory measures” that would ultimately “threaten the security” of the country.