Georgian Parliament Overrides Presidential Veto on Law on Foreign Agents
Kyiv • UNN
Georgia's parliament overrode a presidential veto and passed a controversial law on "foreign agents" that critics say is inspired by Russia and could hinder the country's European aspirations.
The Georgian parliament overrode the president's veto of the law on "foreign agents," which critics call Russian. With 84 votes, MPs voted to adopt the bill in its original form. Four voted against, UNN reports citing Novosti Georgia.
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Almost the entire opposition left the meeting in protest and did not participate in the vote. Opponents of the government joined the rally on Rustaveli Avenue.
The Georgian parliament passed the law on foreign agents in the third reading on May 14. Shortly afterward, the president vetoed it.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called the law "Russian in its essence and spirit," contrary to the constitution and "all European standards," and an obstacle to Georgia's European path. In their motivational remarks, they suggested that the law should be in effect for only one day and then be repealed.
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili called the proposal "a mockery." Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that Zurabishvili "closed all space for a healthy discussion" on their initiative.
The Georgian Dream hoped that, as part of the veto procedure, the president would reflect the wishes of international partners in his remarks. Zurabishvili pointed out that the law violates four articles of the constitution at once and that it is simply impossible to change it.
After the veto is overridden, the law will be sent back to the president for his signature. If Zurabishvili does not sign it again, it will be signed and published by the parliamentary spokesperson Shalva Papuashvili. Once published, the law will come into force.
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Earlier today, the speakers of the parliaments of seven EU countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, France, and the Czech Republic) called on Papuashvili to repeal the law on foreign agents. He responded to them with a lengthy letter that spoke of the threat of "covert foreign interference.
The Georgian Dream calls the adoption of the law aimed at increasing the transparency of foreign-funded media and NGOs, as well as protecting state sovereignty. Official Tbilisi explains the criticism from the West as the influence of the "global party of war" that seeks to open a second front of the Russian-Ukrainian war in Georgia.
Opponents of the law point out that the same legislative changes in Russia have led to the persecution of critical media, activists and the opposition. Therefore, all protests in Tbilisi are held under the slogan "No to the Russian law!".
The Venice Commission believes that in its current form, the law is anti-democratic and can be used to suppress critics of the government. It is compared to laws adopted by Russia, Hungary, and Kyrgyzstan. In response to this assessment, Georgian Dream accused the Council of Europe lawyers of giving "biased political assessments instead of professional discussion." Similarly, the ruling party ignored the sharp criticism of the US, EU, UN and OSCE, as well as large-scale protests against the law in Georgia.
The situation with the law on foreign agents has led to a crisis in Georgia's relations with its Western partners in a month and a half. The United States announced a review of relations with Georgia and the imposition of sanctions on officials responsible for undermining democracy. Georgia's further integration into the EU was called into question.
Russia, by contrast, supported official Tbilisi, accusing the West of interfering in the country's internal affairs.
