In September, in the parliamentary vote, which was boycotted by the opposition, all 84 members of the ruling party of Georgia “Georgia Sapnis” voted for the draft law. No member voted against. This decision of the parliament has further aggravated the tension in the country before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.
“President Zurabishvili refused to sign the bill and sent it back to the parliament without vetoing it,” said the press representative of the president’s office.
The bill is expected to be signed by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.
The bill “on family values and protection of minors” resembles a similar Russian law used to restrict LGBTQ rights. The bill envisages limiting “propaganda of same-sex relations and incest” in educational institutions and television programs.
Rights groups have criticized the text of the law, which equates homosexual relations to incest.
The bill also prohibits gender reassignment, adoption for homosexuals and transsexuals, and annuls same-sex marriages concluded in foreign countries.
Brussels said last month that the proposed set of laws “undermines the fundamental rights of Georgians and risks further stigmatizing and discriminating part of the population.” Brussels has said that the adoption of the bill will have serious consequences for Tbilisi’s path to European integration and will cause further strain in relations between the European Union (EU) and Georgia.
Papuashvili, in turn, said that the purpose of the draft law is to strengthen mechanisms for the protection of minors and family values, which are based on the union of a woman and a man.
Georgia recently passed a “foreign influence” law that targeted non-governmental organizations and sparked weeks of anti-government protests and Western condemnation.
The “Georgian Dream”, which has been in power in Georgia since 2012, has become increasingly hostile to the West and liberal values in the last two years. Critics accuse it of cozying up to Russia and jeopardizing Georgia’s bid to join the European Union.
2024-10-03 01:31:26