Georgian Dream Withdraws 'Foreign Agents' Bill Due to High Public Pressure
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, March 10, 2023
The joint statement of the political council of the ruling party Georgian Dream, bill initiator People's Power party and the Parliamentary majority has been published, saying they have withdrawn the bill after mass protests.
According to the statement, the ruling party is waiting for the 'emotional response' to subside, so they can explain the importance of the bill to the public and announced that they will start having meetings with citizens to inform the public of the 'truth'.
Georgian Dream blamed the 'radical' opposition for misleading the public by presenting the bill to them in a 'negative light'.
"We would like to inform the public that consultations were held between the political council of Georgian Dream, People's Power and members of the parliamentary majority regarding the ongoing political processes surrounding the law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence".
We see that the adopted draft law has caused differences of opinion in society. The machine of lies was able to present the bill in a negative light and mislead a certain part of the public. The false label of Russian law was attached to the draft law, and its adoption in the first reading was presented as a departure from the European course in the eyes of a part of the public.
In addition, the radical forces were able to involve some of the youth in illegal activities. Thank you to the heroic law enforcement officers who responded to the violence with patience and the highest standards.
We should be most careful about peace, tranquility and economic development in our country, as well as Georgia's progress on the path of European integration. Therefore, it is necessary to spend the energy of each of our fellow citizens not on confrontation, but on the development of the country in the right direction.
Considering all of the above, as a governing power responsible to each member of society, we have decided to unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations.
As the emotional background subsides, we will better explain to the public what the bill was for and why it was important to ensure transparency of foreign influence in our country. To do this, we will start meetings with the population and let the general public know the truth about each and every detail of the matter.
We act with the special responsibility that, as a governing power, we owe to each member of society.
Georgia will maintain peace and stability and continue moving towards Europe with dignity, which is the principal choice of Georgian society," the statement reads.
