Georgia Parliament Overrides President's Veto Against 'Foreign Agents' Law

2024-05-28 18:06:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Georgia Parliament Overrides President's Veto Against 'Foreign

The Parliament of Georgia on Tuesday overturned the veto of the country's president, Salome Zurabishvili, on the so-called "foreign agents" law.

This decision has angered the protesters gathered near the Parliament building and will endanger the country's path to the European Union.

The ruling party, Georgian Dream, as expected, accelerated the vote to overturn the veto on May 28. It, together with the allied party, the Democratic Party of Georgia, have 84 deputies out of 150 in the Georgian Parliament.

A simple majority of 76 votes was needed to invalidate Zurabishvili's veto.

Georgian MPs made the decision despite the European Union and several member states asking them not to override their veto of a law often referred to as the "Russian law" because of its similarity to legislation the Kremlin has in place to silenced opposition and freedom of expression.

The law now goes back to President Zurabishvili to sign it. If she does not agree, then the speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili from the ruling party, can sign the law and publish it.

Hundreds of protesters, mostly young people, gathered peacefully near the back entrance of Parliament, where there was a heavy police presence. They chanted "No to Russian law" and waved Georgian and EU flags.

More protests are expected later in the day.

The "foreign agents" law has been condemned by the United States, as well as the European Union, which has said it is "incompatible" with Georgia's recent efforts to join the bloc.

Under the law, which sparked weeks of protests that were violently suppressed by authorities, media and non-governmental organizations will be forced to register as "followers of the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their income is funding. from outside.

Critics have said that this legislation was brought by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, in order to preserve power from this party, before this year's elections, which are seen as decisive for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic path.

The Georgian Dream has insisted that it remains committed to joining Western institutions and has said that the law is only intended to increase transparency for the financing of NGOs.

Georgia's civil society has for years tried to distance the country from the influence of Russia, which still maintains thousands of troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway Georgian regions that Moscow recognized as independent states after a five-day war with Tbilisi in 2008. .But the United States and the European Union have warned Georgian Dream that ignoring the criticism and violently fighting the protesters will have negative consequences for it.

Georgia received EU candidate status on December 14, but has yet to begin talks with the bloc, which could take years.

The parliamentarians of the seven EU member states – the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, France, the Netherlands and Poland – called on May 27 through a joint communique to Georgian MPs to repeal this law.

Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign policy and security chief, Josep Borrell, said on May 27 that the EU has begun to consider options if Georgia enacts the law.

He added that a decision will be made next month./ Rel