Ruling party head: Georgia will “march forward” to Europe “with dignity”
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday vowed the Georgian authorities’ support for the country’s European integration by saying the “march forward to Europe” would be facilitated “with Christianity”, “with sovereignty” and “with dignity”. Photo: Georgian Dream Press office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday vowed the Georgian authorities’ support for the country’s European integration by saying the “march forward to Europe” would be facilitated “with Christianity”, “with sovereignty” and “with dignity”.
In remarks over Tuesday’s public protest over a proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence, Kobakhidze noted the domestic “radical” opposition and the media “affiliated with them” had “convinced a large part of the public” that the bill - adopted by the Parliament in its first reading and termed by the party Chair an “American law” - was “instead a Russian one”, a development he said had caused a “genuine agitation” in the public.
However, as always, the radical opposition tried to use this genuine agitation to fulfil its own political goals and tasks. Radical opposition supporters committed unprecedented violence against law enforcement officers. [...] Yesterday, on the instructions of the [opposition] United National Movement [party], demonstrators assaulted law enforcement officers and the Public Defender. This fact reminds us once again that these people will never change their nature”, Kobakhidze said.
The GD official stressed the proposed bill - which calls for 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 - served to clarify “only whose bona fide or non-bona fide” goals and objectives were “served by specific organisations”.
“Georgia is a state, and anyone who wants to disturb the country will be held accountable with full strictness of the law. Eventually, the passion will subside, and the public will have the transparency of NGO finances that the Foreign Influence Transparency Law provides”, he continued.
More than 80 percent of Georgian citizens support the European future of Georgia, and more than 90 percent trust the [Georgian] Orthodox Church. From this, it is clear that those who curse the Church will never bring Georgia to the European Union. We will march forward to Europe with Christianity, we will march forward to Europe with sovereignty, we will march forward to Europe with dignity”, Kobakhidze concluded.
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 the protest outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi, after the legislative body gave its initial backing to the bill.
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.
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 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.
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.
Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Tuesday said the proposed Georgian bill on the transparency of foreign influence, which passed the first reading at the country’s Parliament on Tuesday, was “incompatible” with European Union values and standards.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the Georgian authorities had showed “utmost respect” to the European institutions by forwarding the proposed domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, which passed the first reading at the country’s Parliament on Tuesday, to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for opinion.
Irakli Chikovani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday claimed a “destructive revanchist campaign” by a part of the domestic opposition amid controversy around the proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence, alleging the opposition was aiming to cause “dissatisfaction and agitation” among the public using the subject.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Wednesday announced it was investigating alleged instances of abuse of power by law enforcement officers during a rally in central Tbilisi late on Tuesday that protested the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence.
Georgia’s “any comparison” with Russia is “absolutely unacceptable” from anyone, whether from a Georgian politician or a foreign diplomat, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Saturday while responding to Public Broadcaster journalist’s questions on Western partners' criticism, including statements made by the US Embassy in Georgia over the controversial draft law on transparency of foreign influence, calling the bill “Russian law” and “inspired by Kremlin”.
The Georgian Government is doing its “utmost” to obtain the status of a European Union membership candidate state and by “merit-based” decision the country deserves the candidate status, the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Sunday in an interview with Imedi TV.
Georgia will celebrate Europe Day with events over the weekend in the country’s capital Tbilisi, the Government Administration announced on Tuesday.