May 28 (UPI) – Georgian lawmakers were set on Tuesday to override a presidential veto of a controversial law forcing Western-backed NGOs and media outlets to register as foreign agents that opponents fear will jeopardize any chance of EU membership and lead the country on the path to closer union with Russia.
Protesters gathered outside the legislature in the capital, Tbilisi, as members of Parliament prepared to vote to remove the President. Salome Zourabichviliveto of the “transparency of foreign influence” law on May 18 in a crucial momentthe outcome of which will have important implications for the South Caucasus nation in the coming years.
A defiant parliamentary procedural committee said sovereign nations were “not subject to any sanctions by any international standards” and that the vote to override the presidential veto, which, unlike the US Congress, requires only a simple majority, would go ahead.
The ruling Georgian Dream party managed to win the bill that requires media outlets, corruption watchdogs and campaign groups that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to declare that they represent the “interest of a foreign power”. , with a majority of 54 votes on May 14, after reviving the proposal six weeks earlier.
NGOs, media outlets and other groups that receive grants for pro-democracy and anti-corruption efforts from the United States, Germany, Sweden and other Western liberal democracies would be disproportionately affected by the new law that imposes severe sanctions for non-compliance.
The fight pits Georgian Dream politicians who promote Kremlin-type conspiracies of a clandestine “Global War Party” that is pushing Ukraine and Georgia toward war with Russia against those who see the law as a game-changer that will see Georgia align with the West, or pivot towards Moscow.
The government promised to abandon the law “unconditionally” after massive international and domestic opposition that brought tens of thousands of Georgians to the streets in March 2023, protests that were met with a harsh response from security forces.
The scene was peaceful as protesters gathered outside the parliament building on Tuesday, with a larger demonstration expected to be held closer to the evening vote inland, but there were reports of masked security forces in and around the complex.
The United States responded to the bill’s approval by announcing visa restrictions on Georgian authorities and a review of its relationship with the country.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there are “clear indications of a campaign of intimidation and use of violence” to suppress protests and that the law undermines Georgia’s democracy and fundamental freedoms.
The European Union’s top foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned that the adoption of a law that he said was “incompatible” with EU values and norms “has a negative impact on Georgia’s progress on the EU path.”
He stated that the European Council’s granting of candidate country status to Georgia was in understanding that the 9 relevant steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation of 8 November 2023 have been implemented.
“These measures require that human rights are protected and that civil society, as well as the media, can operate freely. They also refer to the need for depolarization and the fight against disinformation.”
On Monday, the presidents of seven European parliaments also called on Georgia’s parliament to withdraw the law, urging the country to stay on the path of integration with the EU.
