Protesters demonstrating against bill on foreign influence transparency in Tbilisi
Some opposition MPs - including Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of the United National Movement party - were removed from a Committee session on Monday after clashes between ruling party and opposition MPs. Photo: InterPressNews
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A public protest was launched on Monday outside the Parliament of Georgia in capital Tbilisi in a demonstration against the proposed bill on registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “agents of foreign influence” if they derive more than 20 percent of their income from abroad.
The protest comes amid widespread controversy around the bill that has been proposed by People's Power, a public movement composed of former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and has seen backlash from the civil sector, political opposition and diplomatic representations in the country.
Zurab Girchi Japaridze, the leader of the Girchi - More Freedom opposition party, said it was the “duty of any citizen” to join the protest against the draft law, which has been forwarded to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for opinion, before the second hearing in the Parliament on its adoption.
“The plan is to protest, in all forms - in all peaceful forms. [We need] as many protests as possible, as many people on the streets as possible. There is no other force to stop [the adoption of the proposal]”, he said.
The Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament on Monday resumed debating the bill, after the previous session of discussions over the legislative piece in the lawmaking body resulted in verbal and physical confrontations among lawmakers last week.
Some opposition MPs - including Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of the United National Movement party - were removed from a Committee session on Monday after clashes between ruling party and opposition MPs.
The Georgian Parliament on Tuesday continued discussions of the proposed bill that involves registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “agents of foreign influence” if they derive more than 20 percent of their income from abroad, local media said.
The Georgian State Security Service on Monday rejected “fake” reports on its employees being present at the Parliament for ensuring enforcement, amid an ongoing public protest against the proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence.
The bill on transparency of foreign influence, proposed by People's Power, a public movement composed of former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was supported at the first hearing by the Foreign Relations and Defence Committees later on Thursday amid confrontation at the joint session.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday commented on the controversy around the proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence by saying a similar law working well in the United States meant the law would also function in Georgia if approved.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday discussed the bill on transparency of foreign influence with Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia and ambassadors of the EU member states, the Parliament press office said.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, on Wednesday said the topic of the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence should be open for discussion.
The Georgian Parliament on Tuesday approved the transparency bill at the first hearing that involves registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “agents of foreign influence” if they derive more than 20 percent of their income from abroad, local media said.
Newly appointed Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, on Tuesday called on the Interior Ministry not to use coercive and “disproportionate” measures against the peaceful participants gathered currently in front of the Parliament building to protest the approval of the transparency bill by the legislative body earlier today, and urged the protesters not to go beyond the legal framework.
The Georgian police on Wednesday said it had arrested 66 people for “petty hooliganism”, disobedience to law enforcement and throwing “Molotov cocktails and stones” at officers during a protest outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi after the legislative body gave its initial backing to a proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence in its first reading.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Thursday said it was “unconditionally” withdrawing the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence that was met by a backlash by domestic opposition, civil sector and diplomatic representations in the country, citing the interest of maintaining domestic “tranquillity”, the country’s development and its European integration aspirations as factors behind the decision.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said he had “clearly confirmed” to country’s European and American “friends” that the ruling Georgian Dream party would not revert to the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, which it retracted from the Parliament voting following domestic and international backlash in March.