The News in Brief
Friday, May 31, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Foreign Ministry of Lithuania Summons Georgian Ambassador Over Passing of "Transparency" Law
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania stated that after the President's veto on the "Transparency of Foreign Influence" law was overridden and the law was passed on May 29, the Georgian ambassador was summoned.
The Ministry noted that the European Commission granted Georgia candidate status on the condition of fulfilling nine recommendations. When the Parliament began considering the law, the European Union explicitly warned Georgia that the Russian-style law did not align with the standards and values of the European Union.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deep sorrow regarding the steps taken by the ruling party of Georgia and other actions aimed at intimidating and restricting the activities of civil society in the country.
These actions fundamentally contradict the country's aspirations for EU and NATO integration [...]
Several other legislative initiatives incompatible with EU integration have recently been introduced in the country. Anti-Western propaganda spread, and mass protests followed the government's campaign of intimidation and violence against civil society representatives.
Lithuania is deeply concerned about these events and is discussing possible countermeasures with its partners," the statement reads.
Georgian Parliament Amends Election Code: Dissolves CEC Advisory Group, Alters Decision-Making
In an expedited manner during the third reading, Georgian Parliament supported the draft law amending the Election Code, which aims to dissolve the CEC advisory group.
80 deputies backed the amendment.
The CEC advisory group is composed of international and/or local experts chosen by representatives of the Public Defender's Office and monitoring organizations.
The explanatory note states that the advisability of dissolving the advisory group "is supported by existing practical experience, which clearly demonstrates that this group has not functioned effectively, primarily due to the reluctance of monitoring organizations to participate in its activities."
In addition, the registered change eliminates the requirement for the support of two-thirds of the members to make decisions in the CEC, allowing decisions to be made by a simple majority of the full composition.
Foreign Ministry of Lithuania Summons Georgian Ambassador Over Passing of "Transparency" Law
The Ministry noted that the European Commission granted Georgia candidate status on the condition of fulfilling nine recommendations. When the Parliament began considering the law, the European Union explicitly warned Georgia that the Russian-style law did not align with the standards and values of the European Union.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deep sorrow regarding the steps taken by the ruling party of Georgia and other actions aimed at intimidating and restricting the activities of civil society in the country.
These actions fundamentally contradict the country's aspirations for EU and NATO integration [...]
Several other legislative initiatives incompatible with EU integration have recently been introduced in the country. Anti-Western propaganda spread, and mass protests followed the government's campaign of intimidation and violence against civil society representatives.
Lithuania is deeply concerned about these events and is discussing possible countermeasures with its partners," the statement reads.
Georgian Parliament Amends Election Code: Dissolves CEC Advisory Group, Alters Decision-Making
80 deputies backed the amendment.
The CEC advisory group is composed of international and/or local experts chosen by representatives of the Public Defender's Office and monitoring organizations.
The explanatory note states that the advisability of dissolving the advisory group "is supported by existing practical experience, which clearly demonstrates that this group has not functioned effectively, primarily due to the reluctance of monitoring organizations to participate in its activities."
In addition, the registered change eliminates the requirement for the support of two-thirds of the members to make decisions in the CEC, allowing decisions to be made by a simple majority of the full composition.