The Georgian Parliament, passed in first reading, has sent the draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for analysis, Irakli Kobakhidze, president of the Georgian Parliament, told reporters on March 8. ruling Georgian Dream party.
“We will receive an opinion on the bill from the Venice Commission in a few months, and only after that will the discussion of the bill in parliament continue”Kobakhidze said of the bill, the adoption of which sparked riots on March 7 by the opposition and related non-governmental organizations governed by the law.
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He called opposition claims that the adoption of this bill will shut down the possibility of gaining EU candidate status for Georgia as speculation.
“We have shown the utmost respect for the European institutions by sending the bill to the Venice Commission, but when they tell us that this bill cannot even be discussed, this is an infringement for the state and society”– added the Georgian politician.
According to the leader of Georgia’s ruling party, the adoption of the law on foreign agents will lead to transparency of foreign funding of opposition-linked non-governmental organizations that carry out anti-government actions.
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Let us remember that the bill, which was prepared by deputies of the People’s Power movement and supported by the ruling party of Georgia, provides for the inclusion in the registry of media and non-governmental organizations, whose annual budget is financed by more than 20% by en abroad.
The bill’s authors said it is a relaxed version of US foreign agent law. The bill was strongly criticized by the United States and the EU, which called the Georgian authorities pro-Russian and accused them of withdrawing from the Euro-Atlantic course.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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