EU delegation to Georgia welcomes withdrawal of transparency bill
The European Union delegation to Georgia on Thursday welcomed the announcement by the ruling Georgian Dream party on withdrawal of the draft legislation on transparency of foreign influence. Photo:eeas.europa.eu
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The European Union delegation to Georgia on Thursday welcomed the announcement by the ruling Georgian Dream party on withdrawal of the draft legislation on transparency of foreign influence.
“We encourage all political leaders in Georgia to resume pro-EU reforms, in an inclusive and constructive way and in line with the 12 priorities for Georgia to achieve [EU membership] candidate status”, the statement said.
The ruling 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.
A joint statement by the Political Council of the GD, members of the Parliamentary majority and the People’s Power movement - composed of former members of the ruling party who proposed the bill last month - said the legislative piece had caused controversy in the public, adding restoring “peace, tranquillity and economic development”, as well as Georgia's progress on its European integration path, was a priority in the move.
The draft law, which involved 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, passed its first hearing at the Parliament earlier this week, with its discussions accompanied by heated exchanges and clashes between MPs, as well as public rallies outside the legislative body.
Its proposal was met with criticism by domestic actors and Georgia’s international partners, with Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Tuesday saying it was “incompatible” with EU values and standards.
The United Nations Office in Georgia said adoption of the bill would “risk impeding the work of civil society and media and the essential contributions they make to Georgian democracy”.
Georgian Parliament on Friday formally retracted the draft law on transparency of foreign influence, following the decision by the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw the bill.
Ned Price, the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, on Thursday said the US welcomed the decision by the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw the draft law on transparency of foreign influence and encouraged the country’s political leaders to work together “in earnest” on reforms “urgently needed” to obtain the European Union membership candidate status.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and its Government have never deviated from European choice and values, Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the party said on Thursday, stressing the Government always considered the will of the Georgian people and would continue to do so in the future.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the party had used the principle of ensuring safety of those protesting against the bill on transparency of foreign influence as the “main starting point” in withdrawing the legislative initiative.
Aleksandre Rakviashvili, an MP of the Girchi opposition party, on Thursday said the calls by Giorgi Vashadze, the Chair of the Strategy Agmashenebeli party, for demonstrators protesting the foreign influence transparency bill in Tbilisi on Wednesday to “besiege” the Parliament building had been “irresponsible”.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Thursday called for suspension of public protest rallies over the bill on the transparency of foreign influence, after the legislative initiative was withdrawn by the ruling party.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Policy, on Thursday welcomed the decision of the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence.
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.
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.
The first hearing of the draft law on Registration of Foreign Agents, scheduled for tomorrow, will no longer be discussed at the plenary session of the Parliament, the local news agency Interpressnews said on Wednesday.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday published the letter sent by the official to Bazy Malaurie, the President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, for requesting the body’s opinion on the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence that has met by a backlash in Georgia.
The Georgian Interior Ministry on Wednesday said it had arrested one individual for assaulting law enforcement officers and damaging their vehicle during the protests against the bill on transparency of foreign influence in the country’s capital of Tbilisi between March 7-9.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday criticized Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for responding to a “destructive rally” in Tbilisi this week related to the controversial transparency bill on 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”.