Georgian ruling party proposes revival of controversial foreign agents law

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, announced on Wednesday the party’s intention to reintroduce a contentious foreign transparency bill, previously withdrawn due to widespread protests in Tbilisi last year.

During a press briefing, Mdinaradze stated the proposed bill would closely resemble its previous version, with one “notable amendment” –  replacing the term “agent of foreign influence” with “organization carrying the interests of a foreign power” for entities obtaining over 20 percent of their incomes from abroad.

“We, as the parliamentary majority, have decided to resubmit the draft law ‘On the transparency of foreign influence’ to the parliament. The text of the bill remains unchanged from its previous iteration,” explained Mdinaradze.

In March 2023, the initial attempt to pass the “Foreign Agents” law faced significant opposition and ultimately failed. Despite objections from various sectors of Georgian society and the opposition, the parliament approved the draft law “On the transparency of foreign influence” in its first reading on March 7, 2023, leading to clashes during protests and injuries to several citizens.

The parliamentary majority of Georgian Dream has dismissed accusations of aligning with Russian interests or hindering European integration, emphasizing that transparency and public awareness were the primary objectives of the proposed legislation.

However, amidst widespread public outcry and international criticism, the parliament withdrew the bill on March 9, 2023, shortly after its first reading, and officially rejected it during a specially convened plenary session on March 10.

Dimitri Khundadze, a member of the parliamentary majority, reignited discussions about similar legislation during a session on December 12, 2023. He called for the enactment of a law akin to the “Foreign Agents Registration Act,” citing the need for rigorous financial scrutiny of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

In his recent statements, Mdinaradze argued the lack of transparency surrounding the civil sector posed significant security challenges, referencing past events where NGOs allegedly manipulated election outcomes and incited unrest. 

He emphasized the imperative of “safeguarding national stability against potential subversive influences”.

In its statement, the ruling party claimed that foreign donors had not taken responsibility for alleged anti-state actions of “wealthy NGOs” and their “radical political agenda”. 

Additionally, they highlighted a foreign-funded disinformation campaign in 2020 allegedly aimed at delegitimizing elections, propagated by several media outlets affiliated with the “radical opposition”. 

The statement also expressed concern that this campaign “was spearheaded by an individual who held the position of ambassador for one country but served the interests of a specific political party within Georgia, rather than the country they purported to represent, with undisclosed motives later uncovered”.