Protests against the Russian inspired proposed bill in Georgia is into its 3rd week as the Georgian parliament votes today on the controversial bill. While the President – Salome Zourabichvili is defiant to sign the bill in the future, its PM Irakli Kobakhidze has vowed to get it passed and implemented even if it meant to overrule the President’s call.
What exactly did Georgia propose ?
Last month, the PM’s party re-introduced the legislation to categorize local organizations, including media outlets, nonprofits and other NGOs as bodies “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
Reason behind public unrest
This is the Revolution.
Georgia 🇬🇪🇪🇺pic.twitter.com/JVLplNvHae
— Foreign policy (@ForeignpolicyWB) May 13, 2024
Protestors have accused the ruling government of establishing closer ties with Moscow, via the proposed bill. They also argue that the Russian state is using a similar law to stifle dissent, media and opponents, anticipating the same for the Georgians if the bill gets passed.
Describing the bills as a violation of the international human rights law and standard, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Hugh Williamson said, “The ‘foreign agent’ bills seek to marginalize and discredit independent, foreign-funded groups and media that serve the wider public interest in Georgia. They clearly aim to restrict critical groups and crucial media, violate Georgia’s international obligations, and would have a serious chilling effect on groups and individuals working to protect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.”
The European Union has also condemned the bill, calling it a ‘sabotage’ to Georgia’s bid to join the 27-country bloc. The country was granted EU candidate status last December and polls suggest about 80% of the population is in favor of joining.
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Supporters claim
The ruling party contends that the bill is introduced to promote transparency and deflect Western influence on local media and organizations. Its MP Nikoloz Samkharadze, in an interview with AFP, criticized the outrage over the bill and said it has “nothing to do with the Russian” version.
Speaking in favor of the bill, the billionaire founder of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, claimed this week that a Western “global war” party was using the country as part of its confrontation with Russia.
He said, “Georgia had been set against Russia in 2008, when Russian forces invaded the country, again in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine, and then two years ago when Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine began.”
Ivanishvili is said to have made a fortune in Russia, in a report by AFP.
