Georgian parliament overrides presidential veto of divisive foreign influence bill

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday overrode a presidential veto of a “foreign agents” bill that has sparked weeks of massive protests from critics who say it will curtail press freedom and obstruct Georgia’s chances of joining the European union.

The legislature, controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, overrode independent President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto. The president now has five days to approve the bill. If it does not, the speaker of parliament will sign it into law.

The bill that was approved by parliament earlier this month requires media, non-governmental organizations and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

The president now has five days to approve the bill. If it does not, the speaker of parliament will sign it into law.

The bill that was approved by parliament earlier this month requires media, non-governmental organizations and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with the ruling party, rejected the bill on May 18. She accused the ruling party of endangering the country’s future and “blocking the way to becoming a full member of the free and democratic world”.

The veto was overturned by a vote of 84-4 in a contentious session of parliament during which a Georgian Dream MP splashed water on the leader of an opposition party as he spoke from the podium.

Opponents of the bill gathered outside the parliament building, with some shouting “Slaves!” as the vote was announced.

The government says the bill is needed to stop what it sees as harmful foreign actors trying to destabilize the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million, but many Georgian journalists and activists say the real goal of the bill is to stigmatize them and restrict debates before parliament. elections scheduled for October.

Opponents denounce the legislation as “Russian law” because it resembles measures imposed by the Kremlin to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits and activists. Critics say the move may have been driven by Moscow to thwart Georgia’s chances of further integration with the West.

The bill is almost identical to the one the ruling party was pressured to withdraw last year after massive street protests. Renewed demonstrations once again gripped Georgia as the bill made its way through parliament. The demonstrators clashed with the police, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.

The European Union’s foreign policy arm said the passage of the law “negatively affects Georgia’s progress on the EU path”.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that travel sanctions would be imposed on Georgian officials “who are responsible or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia”. He noted that “our hope remains that Georgia’s leaders will reconsider the bill and take steps to move forward with their nation’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”

The EU offered Georgia candidate status last December, while making clear that Tbilisi must implement key policy recommendations for its membership bid to progress.

The opposition United National Movement has described the bill as part of Georgian Dream’s efforts to drag the country into Russia’s sphere of influence – claims it vehemently denies. Georgian Dream was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and billionaire who made his fortune in Russia.

Zuka Elbakidze, a student who was among the protesters who gathered in Tbilisi ahead of Tuesday’s vote, said “this day will determine the fate of our country”, adding that “we are making a choice between Europe and Russia and all the people gathered here, except for the police, they want Europe and the West.”

“We are physically witnessing, we are literally witnessing how Georgian citizens, members of the Georgian parliament are selling our country,” said another protester, Mariam Geguchadze.

Relations between Russia and Georgia have often been difficult since Georgia became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which made a botched attempt to regain control of the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Moscow then recognized South Ossetia and another breakaway province, Abkhazia, as independent states and strengthened its military presence there. Most of the world considers both regions to be part of Georgia.

Tbilisi has cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, and the status of the regions remains a key irritant, even as Russia-Georgia relations have improved in recent years.

Sophiko Megrelidze, Associated Press