“Georgian Dream” has violated another given promise, and, one year since the “Russian Law” was dropped, it is returning the bill again.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the parliamentary majority and executive secretary of “Georgian Dream”, announced the move on April 3.
Mdinaradze noted that the said decision was made at the majority meeting held on April 2.
He added that the bill will be initiated in parliament with exactly the same text as it was initiated with last year, while the only difference will be that the term “agent of foreign influence” will be replaced by the term “organization carrying the interests of a foreign power”.
He noted that the bill will be passed by all three readings by the end of the current session.
“All other notes of the bill are unchanged. We remind you that the draft law envisages the only requirement for organizations receiving foreign funding to publish their annual financial report, for the violation of which only financial sanctions are provided. This is the minimum standard of public accountability and transparency that any organization with even a formal claim to integrity must meet. Accordingly, the content of the draft law does not provide even a minimal basis for criticism. The draft law will be adopted by all three hearings by the end of the current session”, said Mdinaradze.
The parliamentary majority of Georgia adopted the Russian law on “agents of foreign influence” in the first reading on March 7 of last year. The purpose of the law is to discredit and limit the media and civil sector in the country.
Georgia’s western partners, including the US and the European Union, consider the law an obstacle to Georgia’s western integration.
This step of the ruling team was followed by protests and large-scale demonstrations by many citizens of Georgia. On March 7-8, the authorities used physical force, pepper spray, tear gas, and water cannon against the participants of the peaceful protest.
