Georgian PM says public will “see support” for ruling team in next week’s planned rally

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said “tens of thousands” of supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party “from all fields” would gather at an announced public rally in Tbilisi next Monday “to say yes to transparency”, amid ongoing protests against the reintroduced bill on the transparency of foreign influence.

Kobakhidze said the public would “see how much support there is for the ruling team” in the demonstration after its announcement by the party on Monday, claiming a “campaign of abuse” against supporters of the party had been launched by the “radical” domestic opposition following the announcement.

He also alleged “more than a half” of participants of ongoing protests against the reintroduced bill were “sponsored” by domestic non-governmental organisations, David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the Lelo for Georgia political party and the co-founder of TBC Bank and Dimitri Chikovani, a UNM official and relative of Kezerashvili, while also noting there were “also sincere and honest people” taking part in the rallies against the bill.

He also said representatives of Georgian Dream and the Government “do not insult anyone”, adding their opponents should also “refrain from insulting our supporters”.

We have never once insulted these people - neither the honest people nor the [party activists]. Out of 9,500 [protesting] two thirds were [party activists] and maybe 1,000-1,500 people were honest people”, he claimed.

The Government head added the ruling party expected the participants of the rally against the bill would gather during the second reading of the legislative initiative by the Parliament next week, noting “they have the right to gather as and where they want”.  

Kobakhidze also said there was “no alternative” to the adoption of this bill, which calls for registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

The PM claimed the “Georgian public supports the transparency of NGOs” and added it “does not  support the aims of domestic radical opposition”.