2024-05-03 15:17:16
This was reported by the portal “ekhokavkaza”, which is based on “Ukrinform”.
Commenting on the decision of the governing party “Sakartvelo Dream” to push through the controversial law on “foreign agents”, as well as the crackdown on the participants of actions against this initiative, the leader of Sakartvelo stated that “the problem is much more serious than the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence”, most importantly – what will happen during the elections”.
“Again, the problem is much more serious than this bill, which will be passed in about a month and a half. I will veto it and it will be delayed. The most important question is what will happen during the elections, which will be held in October next year. Many laws have been passed, showing that the ruling party is trying to bring Sakartvel closer to Russia, even though the vast majority of the country’s population, about 80 percent, is – they have been saying that they don’t want it for 30 years,” emphasized S. Zurabishvili.
Commenting on the words of Bidzina Ivanišvili, the founder of “Sakartvelo’s Dream”, that those in power will continue to make efforts to pass the law, despite criticism in the country and abroad, the president said that in this way he “declared Sakartvelo’s partners – the West and the European Union – as enemies and agents trying to organize revolution in Georgia“. Therefore, citizens will have to vote either for Europe or for Russia in the upcoming elections.
“This law is a symbol, but in reality it is an existential choice that Sakartveli has to make during the elections: Europe or Russia,” said S. Zurabishvili.
As Ukrinform previously reported, on Wednesday, May 1, Sakartvelo parliament approved the law “On transparency of foreign influence” in the second reading. 83 deputies voted for, 23 against. The country’s president, S. Zurabishvili, previously promised to veto the document if it is adopted in the third reading. But the ruling party “Sakartwell’s Dream” has enough votes to overcome the president’s veto.
The United States condemned the draft law “On the transparency of foreign influence”, as well as the violence that Sakartveli’s authorities resorted to against the participants of the protests in Tbilisi.
2024-05-03 15:17:16