US State Department condemns Georgian Parliament’s vote to override President’s veto on controversial transparency law

Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, on Tuesday condemned the Georgian Parliament’s vote to override the veto by the country’s President on an “anti-democratic” law on transparency of foreign influence, which he described as “failing to conform to European norms”.

Miller claimed in passing the law, the ruling Georgian Dream Party had “moved the country farther away” from the European integration path and “ignored” Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Georgian citizens.

Georgian Dream has disregarded the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission legal assessment and that of Georgia’s closest partners, who made clear their concerns that the law would stigmatise civil society and media and limit fundamental freedoms. The ruling party's actions and anti-Western rhetoric threaten Georgia’s democratic trajectory, future economic security, EU membership, and also put the US-Georgia relationship at risk”, he said.

The official stressed the US continued to “stand by the Georgian people as they work for a democratic and Western future”.

“It is unfortunate that Georgia’s leaders are choosing to forgo the steps needed to advance Georgia in the Western direction that its people want”, he noted.

The Georgian Parliament on Tuesday overrode a veto placed by President Salome Zourabichvili on the controversial law with 84 votes against four, on the backdrop of ongoing public protests.

The legislative body adopted the original version of the law, which requires 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.