Approval of ruling party-proposed surveillance bill to jeopardize Georgia’s EU candidacy – UNM’s Dekanoidze

The overriding of the presidential veto and the possible approval of the ruling Georgian Dream party-proposed surveillance bill, which extends the scope and time limits of covert investigative actions by state bodies, will endanger Georgia’s EU candidacy, the United National Movement opposition MP Khatia Dekanoidze said on Monday. 

In her remarks, the former law enforcement official under the UNM authorities, suggested that the ruling party was expected to “ignore” international recommendations over the bill, ahead of the “crucial time” when Georgia was given several months and 12 conditions to receive the European Union membership candidate status next year. 

“The approval of the bill will be a detriment to Georgia in the process of granting candidate status,as well as other decisions of Georgian Dream, which only harm the country”, said Dekanoidze.

The amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code  proposed in April, extended the maximum term of covert investigative action from six to nine months in relation to 77 types of crimes. 

President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the bill in June for its “potential harm” to human rights, amid the protest of the civil sector. 

The ruling party said that if the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission provided “genuine reasons” over the necessity of changes to the bill, the GD would consider them, noting that the President’s remarks were “unreasonable” and the veto would be overridden.