Ruling party MP claims “revolutionary revanchism” from domestic opposition amid transparency bill controversy

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.

The public saw that a destructive revanchist campaign was going on throughout the week in order to brand the bill as a ‘Russian bill’ and not to go into its content, not to explain the real reason and purpose of the law, and on that basis to cause some dissatisfaction and agitation in the public”, Chikovani said. 

The MP said the development was taking place through the opposition United National Movement party, its “offshoot parties” and “media related to them”.

We see that this is the result of complete misinformation. I would like to underline that the bill was passed in the first reading, the main purpose of which is to ensure transparency. It is known to the public that before further considering this law, we will wait for the conclusion of the Venice Commission and then proceed with its review”, he noted.

Chikovani acknowledged the “sincere indignation” of “many” Georgian citizens in their reaction to the bill, but said the reaction was based on a “fake campaign”. The comments came following a public protest against the bill in Tbilisi on Tuesday led to clashes with law enforcement, while the Parliament was discussing the proposed legislative piece.

This is the sad reality, and the public has been misled. We also saw that the leaders, or former leaders, of the United National Movement party incited the public to violence. This is once again a clear manifestation of the fact that the United National Movement party has no agenda. Their only and main goal is to cause revolutionary revanchism in the country”, Chikovani 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.

The proposed bill 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 funding from abroad.