Georgian Parliament Chairman Criticizes Venice Commission Report on Family Values and Protection of Minors
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, strongly criticized the recent Venice Commission report "On Family Values and Protection of Minors." According to Papuashvili, the report overlooks the aspirations of Georgian society, particularly concerning the protection of minors and the prohibition of certain types of propaganda.
"It is unfortunate that we see certain assessments that miss the aspirations of Georgian society, including the insurance of risks, the prohibition of propaganda, which the bill is aimed at," Papuashvili stated. He highlighted what he perceives as dangerous trends in the Commission's recommendations.
"There are opposite recommendations, which imply the legalization of the issues that were intended to restrict. While Georgian society wants marriage or similar relationships to be allowed only between a man and a woman, the Venice Commission recommends that we allow same-sex marriage," Papuashvili noted.
Papuashvili also pointed to sections of the report that he believes undermine the protection of minors.
"In some cases, the document is not based on legal considerations but on a certain political conjuncture that may exist in a particular country. Therefore, such positions are regrettable," said Papuashvili.
Papuashvili stated that the report directly calls for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage or similar unions, which contrasts sharply with the views of the majority in Georgian society. He also noted the absence of most opposition members from the session, save for representatives from the Girchi party, suggesting a lack of courage to discuss the issue.
"Constitutionally, including in the law, it is written that in all official documents it will be possible to refer only to a woman or a man according to their biological sex. The Venice Commission recommends that, regardless of everything, any person should be able to choose whether he is a woman or a man on his ID card - that is, without any gender change or any intervention, any person should be able to choose their gender, express their will," Papuashvili explained.
