The Georgian President, Salome Zourabichvili, remotely addressed citizens gathered in front of the parliament to protest the Russian Law. She suggested holding a referendum to decide, in her words, "Do we want a European future or do we want Russian slavery?"
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"84 Shulavereli or 84 Orjonikidze cannot change the future of this country. This future is ours, and I will tell you what we have to do. After they pressed the button and wrote their names on a page of history, we must now do everything we can to prepare for October 26, which will be our answer to today. Are you angry today? Get angry, but let's get down to business!
The point is that, first of all, we need to prepare a real referendum. The energy you have today should be used to collect signatures. Bring them to me, and I will sign the referendum - do we want a European future, or do we want Russian slavery? 84 people cannot decide this. We will decide together!
84 people are nothing compared to those who are here today, the new Georgia, the Georgia of the future!
Now, the second and main thing: you who are here, youth, once you have collected the signatures and brought them to me, your main duty will be to protect the elections wherever necessary. Your mobilization, your half a million votes, and another half a million votes from our diaspora (at the least) will decide the elections on October 26. I will ensure that our partners and friends (some of whom could not understand who is the friend of this country and who is the age-old enemy) will be by our side.
Maybe some people, the Orjonikidzes, will be sanctioned, but they will not sanction the country - today the country showed who it is, what it is, and where it is. This is our future. October 26, we should all prepare together.
I am by your side! I am you, and you are me!" said the President.
Based on the Georgian Constitution, the President is authorized to appoint a referendum on issues defined by the Constitution and the law, at the request of the Parliament, the Government, or at least 200,000 voters, within 30 days of receiving the request. A referendum may not be held for the adoption or cancellation of a law, for amnesty or pardon, for the ratification or denunciation of an international agreement, or for any matter that provides for the limitation of a person's basic constitutional rights.
Today, May 28, after a seven-hour discussion, the Parliament of Georgia did not take into account the President's motivated remarks on the Russian Law and approved the initial version of the draft law, adopted in three readings, by a vote of 84 to 4. Georgian Dream MPs left the legislative body with the help of police and special forces.
