Georgian Parliament formally retracts transparency bill

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. 

The formal procedure followed Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday confirming the bill, which had passed its first hearing at the legislative body on Tuesday, would fail at the second hearing as prescribed by procedures for withdrawn legislation. 

Mdinaradze’s comment came as the ruling party announced it was “unconditionally” withdrawing the controversial bill, 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 legislative initiative called 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 funding from abroad.

Georgian-based non-governmental organisations, the United States Department of State, European Union officials and the United Nations Office in Georgia all spoke out in criticism against the draft law before it was recalled.