Ruling party head calls on politicians “to refrain from speculations”, citing a "political decision" to recall transparency bill
“It [adoption of the draft law] was not worth putting even one person's life and health at risk [at protest rallies], [...] there were specific expectations regarding certain risks [of protesters safety] and taking all these into consideration, we took the decision [to retract the bill]”, the GD official noted. Photo via Georgian Dream press office
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday called on domestic opposition “to refrain from speculations”, stressing a “political decision” made by the party to withdraw the bill on transparency of foreign influence from the Parliament, could not be revised “under any circumstances”.
In his interview with the media, Kobakhidze explained the withdrawal of the bill, which had passed its first hearing at the Parliament on Tuesday, was a “technical matter”, pointing out that the ruling party would never initiate a “Russian law” [as called by opposition and certain part of the public] in Georgia.
It [adoption of the draft law] was not worth putting even one person's life and health at risk [at protest rallies], [...] there were specific expectations regarding certain risks [of protesters safety] and taking all these into consideration, we took the decision [to retract the bill]”, the GD official noted.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, earlier today confirmed that the bill [which involved the 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] would fail at the second hearing as prescribed by procedures for the withdrawal legislation.
The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili also sent a letter to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for withdrawal of the bill from the body’s consideration [Georgian authorities had sent the draft law to the Commission for its opinion].
The ruling party today announced it was “unconditionally” withdrawing the controversial bill, which had been proposed by the People's Power movement and met with a backlash by domestic opposition, civil sector and diplomatic representations in the country, as well as public rallies outside the legislative body.
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 Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday asked Bazy Malaurie, the President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, to suspend the body’s evaluation of the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, after the draft law was withdrawn by the ruling party earlier during the day.
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”.
All individuals detained by police for administrative offences on Tuesday and Wednesday outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi during a protest against the bill on transparency of foreign influence [adopted by the legislative body in its first reading], have been released, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
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.
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.
Irakli Zarkua, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday highlighted the need for “peaceful development” and European integration for the country.
The Georgian Interior Ministry on Tuesday said it had launched administrative proceedings after a group of far-right activists took down and burned the European Union flag from a pole in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi earlier during the day.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the call by the European People's Party, the largest party in Europe, for the creation of a European equivalent to the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act, was an “evidence” of a “hoax of the century” in Georgia, in reference to public protests against a similar bill that led to its withdrawal by the ruling party on March 9.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday thanked the country’s law enforcement and Government for having shown “firmness, strength and intelligence” during the public protests in Tbilisi against the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence earlier this month.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday slammed “politically biased” and “speculative” assessments by the “elite” domestic non-governmental sector, which he claimed were subsequently “inserted” into reports of foreign organisations with political aims.