For Georgia opposition announces bill against Russian influence

The For Georgia opposition party founded by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia on Wednesday announced a bill “on protection from the Russian influence”, amid the controversies related to the foreign agents bill proposed by former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party earlier this month. 

 

The opposition party claims the foreign agents bill that envisages the registration of all non-profit legal entities and media organizations obtaining more than 20 percent of their incomes from abroad, “targets Georgia’s allies and strategic partners” and “not the real enemy and the occupier country – Russia”. 

 

“For us, the citizens of Georgia, this enemy [Russia] has been determined by history, and we chose our friends ourselves. This choice implies democratic and free development of the country with the goal to integrate it into Euro-Atlantic structures”, For Georgia MP Beka Liluashvili said. 

 

He highlighted the current Government was acting “on the opposite way”, and “targets the country’s partners”, adding if the authorities had “courage to call the enemy by its name”, it would support the bill.The ruling party said it supported the bill by the People’s Power movement, which was created last year and whose members will remain in the parliamentary majority. 

 

Following the severe backlash from domestic and international players, two related bills have been sent to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for opinion earlier this week, with the GD saying it would wait for recommendations before the vote.