Georgian Parliament formally retracts transparency 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.

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”.

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to suspend the body’s evaluation of the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, after the draft law was withdrawn by the ruling party earlier during the day. 

The Georgian Interior Ministry on Friday said 58 law enforcement officers had received “various injuries” while ensuring safety during the rallies in central Tbilisi on Tuesday and Wednesday that protested the Parliament’s discussion of the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence. 

Young demonstrators on Friday prevented Giorgi Vashadze, the head of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, from addressing the audience outside the Parliament in Tbilisi before they ended the rally against the now-shelved controversial 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”.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday said the Government's opponents had used a “sensitive topic” of Russian occupation to “mislead” the public over the controversial transparency bill that was rejected by the Parliament this week amid protests. 

People's Power, a movement composed of former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said Georgia’s partners in the West should distance themselves from “destructive opposition and violence” in the Georgian political spectrum.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday said the “shameful” resolution that called for the release of Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili on health grounds and was adopted by the European Parliament last month had “confirmed” the former official was “their agent”.

Kakha Kaladze, the Tbilisi Mayor and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said “any attempts by the radical wing” of the domestic opposition to replace the current authorities “through chaos and revolution” were “doomed to fail”. 

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. 

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said the European Union flag would be returned to the pole outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi “with due honour” after far-right activists took the symbol down and burned it in an incident earlier during the day.

Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, on Tuesday said taking down and burning the European Union flag had been not only an “impediment” to Georgia’s European path, but also an “insult” of Georgian people’s “historic choice”.

The Georgia Rugby Union expressed concern on Friday in its statement over the “systematic and deliberate” attempts of spreading “discrediting lies” about the Union and damaging its reputation.

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 Vice Prime Minister Thea Tsulukiani on Monday accused the Franklin Club, a domestic non-governmental organisation promoting “classical liberal and libertarian values”, of affiliation with “radical and extremist” political parties in the country, after the group announced cancellation of its educational cooperation with University of Georgia citing “attacks” by Government members.

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday said “non-transparent” foreign funding of domestic organisations remained a “problem” in the country and claimed donations from several European-and United States-based foundations were being used to “campaign for violence”. 

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. 

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said he had “clearly confirmed” to country’s European and American “friends” that the ruling Georgian Dream party would not revert to the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, which it retracted from the Parliament voting following domestic and international backlash in March.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday claimed domestic “anarchist organisations” who he said had been affiliated with the “radical” United National Movement opposition had “used” and “made” the youth throw Molotov cocktails at police during March rallies in Tbilisi over the controversial foreign influence transparency bill. 

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Thursday claimed the latest disclosures on the activities of the United States-based law firm lobbying for the release of the imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili had “fully exposed” the “hostility” of the former official, the United National Movement opposition party and “their handlers” to “national interests” and Georgia’s European integration. 

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said consultations were in progress between the Government and the country’s European and American partners to “prevent funding extremism, polarised political environment and a revolution” in the country through foreign sources. 

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Thursday said disclosures of the United States-based firms with the country’s Department of Justice as part of the Foreign Agents Registration Act had “shed light on the extent of political corruption against Georgia” by lobbyists hired by the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and affiliated groups.  

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.