Georgian PM urges opposition to refrain from holding protests on same day as ruling party-organised rally in support of controversial bill
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Monday announced the public rally would be held “to say yes to transparency”, and called on “patriotic fellow citizens” to “reject dark money funding of a revolution in Georgia, attacks on the Orthodox Church, political intervention with religious motives, LGBT propaganda, drug propaganda, discrediting of state institutions, radicalism and the so-called polarisation of the domestic political environment together”. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said freedom of assembly was “ensured” in the country but urged the “radical” opposition not to hold its protests against the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence on Monday, as a ruling party-organised rally is set to run in support of the legislative piece.
Kobakhidze said there was “enough time for the radical opposition to hold protests on other days”, after opposition parties announced they were planning to hold the latest protest against the reintroduced bill outside the Parliament in Tbilisi on the same day.
The radical opposition has enough time to hold protests on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Therefore, they should give up on Monday and hold rallies on the days when they have the opportunity - that is, Tuesday, Wednesday, maybe even Thursday”, he said.
The PM also claimed the opposition “cannot gather more than 300 people to block the streets of Tbilisi in the evenings” and was “causing public irritation”, while also alleging “two thirds” of the protesters were a “group of people financed by David Kezerashvili”, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, and Dimitri Chikovani, a UNM official and relative of Kezerashvili.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Monday announced the public rally would be held “to say yes to transparency”, and called on “patriotic fellow citizens” to “reject dark money funding of a revolution in Georgia, attacks on the Orthodox Church, political intervention with religious motives, LGBT propaganda, drug propaganda, discrediting of state institutions, radicalism and the so-called polarisation of the domestic political environment together”.
The developments come on the backdrop of protests against the bill that 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 draft law is being considered by the Parliament, with MPs passing it in the first of several hearings last week.
The Georgian Parliament on Wednesday approved the first reading of the bill on the transparency of foreign influence that has sparked public protests and criticism by some of the country’s foreign partners.
Georgia cherishes and safeguards relations with partner countries. By taking into consideration the main priority of our foreign policy - EU integration - cooperation with high-ranking officials of the United States of America, European Union and EU Member States, including the ambassadors and exchange of ideas is a profound priority for us. We value every supportive step and statement of current ambassadors that are directed at solidifying the international positions of Georgia. Thus, every grounded advice and recommendation will further be accepted with special attention and care.
The Georgian Parliament’s discussion of the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence has sparked public protests outside the legislative body in Tbilisi on Monday, with domestic opposition parties, non-governmental organisations, media outlets and citizens involved in a rally.
Georgian police on Monday arrested 14 individuals during public protests over the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence outside the Parliament in the country’s capital Tbilisi, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said access to information was a “legitimate right of citizens”, in response to criticism from some member states of the European Union and domestic opposition over the ruling Georgian Dream party’s reintroduction of a controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday claimed the aim of public protests over the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence was to “suppress discussion and stage violent scenes”.