People's Power member on transparency bill: what is good for American democracy “impossible to turn out bad” for Georgia

In his response, Subari referenced a similar law used in the United States, by saying it was “impossible that what is good for American democracy and security will turn out to be bad for Georgia”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia

Agenda.ge, 01 Mar 2023 - 14:54, Tbilisi,Georgia

Sozar Subari, a member of People's Power - a public movement composed of former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party - on Wednesday said it was “impossible that what is good for American democracy turns out bad for Georgia”, in comments on the proposed controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence.

Subari was commenting on the bill proposed by the movement and involving registration of “non-commercial legal entities and media outlets as agents of foreign influence if they derive more than 20 percent of their income from abroad”.

The initiative has been criticised by the domestic opposition, civil sector and diplomatic representations in the country, with the former calling it “incompatible with the basic principles of a modern democratic state”, while the United Nations Office in Georgia on Sunday said adoption of the bill would “risk impeding the work of civil society and media and the essential contributions they make to Georgian democracy”.

In his response, Subari referenced a similar law used in the United States, by saying it was “impossible that what is good for American democracy and security will turn out to be bad for Georgia”.

This is an incredible double standard that our partners and friends should not use in relation to us”, he added.

“Hopefully, the UN representation in Georgia is not looking at Georgia as a second-rate country where there should be a different standard [to that used] in the United States or Canada”, the MP also said.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said there “could be no arguments from anyone” against the approval of the bill, which has been forwarded to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for opinion.