Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili has confirmed that she will veto the law on so-called Foreign Agents if it is adopted.
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“I am indeed going to veto this law as I'm doing all other laws, because that's not the only one. It is a whole strategy that goes against recommendations of the European union. My veto is the voice of the people and that voice will be heard loud and clear,” Zourabichvili said in an interview with BBC.
Despite mass protests and criticism from international partners, today, April 17, the ruling Georgian Dream passed the draft law in the first reading, the purpose of which is to restrict independent media and civil society. 83 deputies endorse the adoption of the Russian law. The opposition did not participate in the vote.
Georgian Dream passed a similar bill in the first reading last year, in March, but people's protests forced its rejection. Party leaders vowed to withdraw the bill "unconditionally, without any reservations," but a year later, in early April, they reintroduced it. The text of the draft law remained the same - only the term "agent of foreign influence" was replaced by "organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power."
The ruling party intends to pass the Russian law in all three readings before the end of the spring session, even though it could damage Georgia's European integration process. Georgian Dream has enough votes in parliament to override the president's veto.
