From the BBC:
“Georgia president vetoes
'foreign agent' law”
(Georgia's President Salome
Zourabichvili taking part in a pro-EU rally surrounded by dozens of people)
Georgia's president has vetoed a
divisive "foreign agent" law that has sparked weeks of mass street
protests.
On Tuesday MPs passed the
controversial law which requires NGOs and independent media that receive more
than 20% of their funding from foreign donors to register as organisations
"bearing the interests of a foreign power". Salome Zourabichvili said
the law "in its essence and spirit, is fundamentally Russian" and an
obstacle to Georgia's path to EU membership. However, her veto is only symbolic
as the prime minister's Georgian Dream party has enough members in parliament
to override it by holding another vote. In a televised address broadcast on
Saturday, the president said her veto was "legally justified". "This
law cannot be a subject to any change, improvement and embellishment, and thus
it’s a very simple veto. This law must be withdrawn, " she said. Ms
Zourabichvili - an opponent of prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze - was widely
expected to veto the law.
Meanwhile, Mr Kobakhidze has
called on youth protesters to select at least 10 representatives to join a
public discussion with him on the controversial law. According to The
Interpressnews agency reported on Friday, he said: "I am ready to not only
listen to their critical remarks, but in specific cases, share them. I expect
the same attitude from youths."
Critics say the law is inspired
by authoritarian legislation neighbouring Russia uses to crush dissent.
Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023, and some are concerned that the law will derail the country's path to EU membership. Conditions for membership involve candidate countries implementing anti-corruption reforms, increasing government transparency, and promoting civil society.
Massive rallies against the bill
have gripped the Caucasus country for nearly a month. Photos and footage posted
online in recent days appeared to show violent altercations between protesters
and police.
^ Georgia should not follow Russia’s
path and should not pass this “Foreign Agents Law.” ^
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